Harry V. DeBenedet

Harry Vincent DeBenedet passed away peacefully at his home in East Haven on September 25, 2023. Born in New Haven on May 7,

1947, he was the son of the late Odorico DeBenedet and Giuseppina Vaspasiano Belli and the brother of Andrew and John DeBenedet. He was the beloved husband of Rheta Lenzi DeBenedet.

Harry proudly served in the U.S. Army in the Vietnam era. He was a graduate of North Haven High School, attended New Haven College (now University of New Haven), and received a B.S. in Criminal Justice Management from LaSalle University. Harry was appointed to the New Haven Police Department (NHPD) in 1970 and served the City of New Haven until 1990. He worked in all major divisions of the department and was a firearms and police survival instructor. In 1978, Harry joined the NHPD Bomb Squad and SWAT team. Following his retirement from the New Haven Police Department, Harry joined the Yale Police Department (YPD) in 1990, where he was instrumental in starting the YPD

Bomb Squad and served the Yale community until 2010, retiring as Lieutenant. His expertise was widely recognized, as he consulted on many cases including the Unabomber case. He served as an officer of the Society of Santa Maria Maddalena and was a member of the Society of St. Andrew the Apostle,

Campania Club, Marchegiana Society, and the Guilford Sportsman Association (President). Harry’s proudest accomplishment was being a loving father to Joseph and Michael DeBenedet, and grandfather to Angelina and Anthony DeBenedet, and Kevin and Kyle Cohen (Maria Bronson).

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, September 29 at 10:00 a.m. in Blessed Michael McGivney Parish at St. Michael Church, 29 Wooster Place in New Haven. Following Mass, military honors will be presented. Burial will be private. The Iovanne Funeral Home, Inc. is in care of his arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Harry’s honor can be made to the Ronald McDonald House of CT, 860 Howard Ave., New Haven, CT 06519. Share a memory and sign Harry’s guest book online at www.iovanne.com.