Liza Benson Endowed Fund for MEDEX
Please address your letter to:
Ms. Benson (Liza's mother)
Elizabeth “Liza” Gray Benson, 28, resident of Jackson, Wyo., passed away suddenly in a skiing accident caused by an avalanche on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Liza was born on June 28, 1984, in Troy, Ohio, to proud parents Elizabeth Bravo Benson and Peter Allen Benson and older sister Adrienne. She was the granddaughter of the late Robert and Lucia Hobart Bravo of Troy and George and Elizabeth Stover Benson of Winnetka, Illinois; great-granddaughter of Rachel and William Hobart, Adelaide Allen and I. Kell Stover of Troy, and Winnetka.
The young family of four soon moved to Westfield, New Jersey, where younger brother Peter Coleman Benson made it a family of five. The Bensons moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1990. As a little girl, Liza was a perpetual motion machine, busily keeping up with her older sister and friends. She developed a strong work ethic as an academic and started as a swimming pool attendant and guard at age 14 in Columbus. She played soccer competitively through grade school. In high school, goalkeeping for the Upper Arlington Golden Bears women’s soccer team, Liza held the Ohio state record for the most saves in goal for many years. Seeking a better chance at college placement, Liza attended boarding school at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. On the soccer field there, she was selected Massachusetts All-State Team for 2001,’02 and ’03, graduated cum laude and received an award in Latin in 2003.
Her hard work and dedication paid off when Liza attended her dream-school, Colby College, in Waterville, Maine. Liza continued to be a powerhouse on the soccer field as a nationally ranked goalie for the Colby College Mules. She was selected “Devastator of the Week” in’05 and ’06 by the college athletic department, as well as all-state for four years. Between matches and working as an assistant athletic trainer, Liza pursued rigorous studies in biology, attaining dean’s list, and graduating with honors in June 2007. During the summers, she acted as a soccer coach for kids, worked at Marine Environmental Research in Blue Hill, Maine, and later for the Nature Conservancy’s efforts to protect nesting plovers in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., even traveling to Mongolia for biology research.
Upon graduation, Liza’s adventures began. She explored Europe, the Mediterranean and Morocco from a 36-foot wooden sailboat before sailing across the Atlantic. She and the ship’s captain played many cribbage games on the slow west-bound crossing. Her quests on the sea led to adventures in the mountains when she moved to Jackson, Wyo., with her family after her father’s demise in 2006.
Liza’s focus on health and fitness triggered her interest in the medical field. She worked first at the emergency care clinic in Yellowstone Park. Then, hired at 23 years old, she was the youngest medical assistant at Teton Orthopedics in Jackson, Wyo. Impressed by her skills, the doctors there encouraged Liza to pursue a career in medicine. In mid-winter of 2011, Liza was accepted to the University of Washington’s physician assistant program (MEDEX) and awarded one of 20 seats in the WWAMI program in Wyoming. She attended classes and clinical rotations in Seattle, Wash., before moving to Pinedale, Wyo., in October 2012 for rural and acute-care rotations. Liza was on track to graduate in August 2013. She was so eager at work, she told her doctor-mentor, after staying after hours to diagnose and correctly set a broken arm, “I can’t wait to get to it.”
Liza held a NOLS certificate as captain for sailing, a PADI diving certificate, a certificate from EXUM mountain guides for the ascent of the Grand Teton, and an AVY-I avalanche training class certificate.
An adventurous athlete and compassionate healthcare worker, she won friends everywhere with her infectious smile. Liza was dedicated to squeezing the most out of life, whether it was in her classes, on the ocean or on the mountains. With a memorable, humorous and cheerful demeanor, Liza was a rare soul.
