Thomas Mitchell Behnfield

PHOENIX – Thomas Mitchell Behnfield died on June 22, 2018 in Scottsdale, AZ. He was 87 years old. Tom was born in Orange, New Jersey in 1930 and he was the youngest child of Walter and Muriel (Mitchell) Behnfield. He was raised in Short Hills and Morristown, New Jersey. Tom attended boarding school at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. He attended Rutgers University, ultimately graduating from Michigan State University with a B.A. in English. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and served in the ROTC.

Upon graduation, Tom was commissioned in the US Army and served as a cryptographer. After his honorable discharge from the US Army, Tom became a Junior Executive Trainee at Merrill Lynch in Manhattan in 1954, to begin a long and successful career in the Financial Services Industry. After 8 years as an Account Executive in Phoenix, he entered management, opening the New Haven office and continuing on to manage the Albuquerque and Phoenix complexes for Merrill Lynch. Tom finished his Financial Services career with PaineWebber and retired in 1990.

During retirement, Tom pursued a Master’s degree in Anthropology at the University of New Mexico. Tom served on the Maxwell Museum Association board at the University of New Mexico for several years in the early 1990’s. While retired, Tom became a Master Gardener and served on the Albuquerque Council of Garden Clubs as President for a time.

Tom is survived by his wife Debbie, his four children and two stepchildren. A memorial service will be held on July 20th at 11:00 AM at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix with a reception to follow.

Memorial donations in memory of Tom can be made to the UNM Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, 500 University Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 or the Memorial Garden at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix, 4027 E. Lincoln Dr., Paradise Valley, AZ 85253.