BEN BUONGIORNO
1931-2021
Ben Buongiorno, 90, passed away peacefully on February 19, 2021. The beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather was simply known to all as Granddad. Ben was born on January 29, 1931 to Joseph Buongiorno and Camilla Crisifulli Buongiorno in Albany, New York.
Ben’s lifelong passion was baseball. He attended St. Lawrence University in New York on a baseball scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Science in Geology graduating in 1953. In addition, he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. In 1954, Ben received a teaching fellowship from the University of Texas, Geology Department and earned his Master’s Degree in 1955.
Ben enjoyed a distinguished career in the oil and gas industry beginning in 1955 with the Standard Oil Company of Texas. Ben, his former wife, June and their three children traveled extensively, settling in Houston, Texas in 1967 where he worked for the Monsanto Company. Ben was an independent petroleum Geologist until his retirement in 2015. The Grass Island Field formerly, the Espirito Santo Bay discovery, drilled by Harry Cullen, remains one of Ben’s greatest accomplishments of his career. During his long career, Ben was President of Gulf Coast Geological Library (formerly Houston Log Library), and a member of numerous organizations and societies, some of those being The Petroleum Club of Houston, Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists (SIPES), Houston Geology Society, (HGS), and American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG).
A member of Houston’s First Baptist Church, Ben’s life was one of faith, family and friends. Ben cherished his family and among his favorite things was cheering on his grandchildren at sporting events along with hosting Granddad’s “pizza night parties”. Ben loved, golfing, running with his dogs, fishing and carpentry. He traveled extensively with his wife, B.K. and especially cherished their visits to his favorite village of Bellagio on Lake Como and the tiny village of Antillo, Sicily in Italy where his parents Camilla and Joseph were both born.
Ben was a much-loved, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother and friend. He will be deeply missed but will live in our hearts until we are united again in heaven. Ben is survived by his wife B.K. Buongiorno, his brother Santo and wife, Mary Buongiorno of Cambria, CA and his sister Ann Lawton of Albany, NY, his two sons and wives, Brian and Lisi Buongiorno of Los Angeles, CA, and
Paul and Karen Buongiorno of Chatham, NJ, daughter, Elizabeth and Clifford McDaniel of Houston, TX and stepdaughter, Kay Atkins of Pasadena, Texas. As well as nine adored grandchildren Christopher Buongiorno, Carson McDaniel, Brittany Buongiorno, Kirby McDaniel, James Buongiorno, Davis Ben McDaniel, Jackson Buongiorno, Cole Buongiorno, Brooks Buongiorno and great grandchild, Charlie McDaniel.
A private celebration of life service will be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at Houston’s First Baptist Church in Houston, Texas officiated by Rev. Dau Ayub. Masks and social distancing will be observed. In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests memorial contributions in honor of Ben be directed to your charity of choice.