Benson was known for his charitable giving. Powered by. His brother, Larry Benson, has also been in sports ownership and owned the San Antonio Riders of the World League. Until his death, Tom Benson was married for several years to Gayle Benson (née LaJaunie). As NFL.com wrote, “When he was a child in New Orleans, Tom Benson used to walk to and from school a few miles from his home in the Seventh Ward, pocketing the precious few pennies his family gave him for the streetcar because he didn’t like spending money he instead could save.”, Tom Benson Dead: New Orleans Saints Owner Dies after Flu, Copyright © 2020 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. She, along with her mother Renee and brother Ryan LeBlanc, then sued Tom Benson claiming he is incompetent, and for control of his companies.

After his death, his widow Gayle Benson took over ownership of his estate. Saints Owner Tom Benson, 90, passed away peacefully today at Ochsner Medical Center with his wife Gayle Marie Benson at his side https://t.co/gjAIQYKdDw pic.twitter.com/BK5aS2vj0v, — New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 15, 2018. Tom Benson, the owner of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, who built started as a bookkeeper for a car dealership but became a billionaire, is dead at the age of 90 after being hospitalized for the flu, the team has confirmed on its website. Your contribution is much appreciated! He died on March 15, 2018, at Ochsner Medical Center in Jefferson, Louisiana, at age 90. In 2015, The Advocate reported that, upon his death, Tom Benson would transfer ownership of the clubs to his wife, who married Tom in 2004. He started out as a car salesman, building his fortune in auto dealerships. Benson's only living child, as of January 2015, is Renee. She had worked for a custom jeweler and as an interior designer, according to The Advocate. “In 1985, Mr. Benson purchased the New Orleans Saints after learning that the NFL franchise was on the verge of being sold to parties interested in relocating the team. “Tom Benson, 90, passed away peacefully Thursday, March 15 at Ochsner Medical Center with his wife Gayle Marie Benson at his side. Rita Benson LeBlanc was Saints owner and executive vice president until Tom Benson fired her, her brother Ryan and her mother Renee, and wrote them out of his will. How did Tom Benson, the owner of the New Orleans Saint and Pelicans, die? Although his official cause of death was not announced right as news broke that he had died on March 15, 2018, Benson died at the hospital. He added an NBA franchise to his repertoire. “Tom Benson, 90, passed away peacefully Thursday, March 15 at Ochsner Medical Center with his wife Gayle Marie Benson at his side. Birthday: July 12, 1927Date of Death: March 15, 2018Age at Death: 90. Thomas Milton "Tom" Benson (born July 12, 1927) is the owner of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans. His first wife was Shirley Landry who is deceased. Saints Owner Tom Benson, 90, passed away peacefully today at Ochsner Medical Center with his wife Gayle Marie Benson at his side https://t.co/gjAIQYKdDw pic.twitter.com/BK5aS2vj0v, — New Orleans Saints (@Saints) March 15, 2018, Benson was not a person who came from affluent means, and he was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Thomas Milton Benson Jr., dit Tom Benson, né le 12 juillet 1927 à La Nouvelle-Orléans et mort le 15 mars 2018 à Jefferson en Louisiane, est un homme d'affaires américain. “Through his sports teams, business interests and the Gayle and Tom Benson Foundation, Mr. Benson was dedicated to assisting a myriad of charitable, faith-based and educational causes in the New Orleans and South Texas communities,” the Saints reported. Despite his advanced age, his death was not expected. Mr. Benson was hospitalized with the flu Feb. 16,” the team wrote. Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People.

Upon the conclusion of World War II, Mr. Benson returned home to New Orleans and continued his business administration studies.”. He wasn’t always wealthy. He became well-known when he purchased some of New Orleans’ best known sports franchises.

“Raised in the 7th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans, Mr. Benson graduated from St. Aloysius High School (now Brother Martin) in 1944,” the team reported. “Raised in the 7th Ward neighborhood of New Orleans, Mr. Benson graduated from St. Aloysius High School (now Brother Martin) in 1944,” the team reported.

Celebrities and Famous People Who Passed Away Today in History. “Benson spent the past few years locked in a bitter dispute with his daughter and grandchildren over control of much of his fortune,” Forbes reported. Mr. Benson purchased the Saints on May, 31, 1985,” the team says. Benson lived the quintessential rags-to-riches tale. Benson has owned the Saints since the 1980s. Tom Benson had been married twice prior to his union with Gayle Benson.

Benson built his net worth – estimated at $3 billion – by starting at the bottom in a car dealership and working his way up to owning a series of car dealerships. His relationship with his family was fractious at times. Tom Benson was born on July 12, 1927 and died on March 15, 2018. Benson was married three times. “The nasty feud, in which family members claimed he was mentally incompetent to run the teams, ended in February 2017 with a confidential settlement.”. Tom was 90 years old at the time of death. What was his cause of death? “In 2012, Mr. Benson purchased the National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Hornets franchise from the NBA, which the following season, he rebranded and had renamed the New Orleans Pelicans,” the team statement said. “Benson spent the past few years locked in a bitter dispute with his daughter and grandchildren over control of much of his fortune. Businessman nfl team owner nba team owner philanthropist. Getty Thomas Milton Benson, Jr. was born on July 12, 1927 in New Orleans to Thomas Milton Benson Sr. and Carmelite Marie Pintado Benson, according to the team’s statement. Getty Mr. Benson purchased the Saints on May, 31, 1985,” the team says.

Renee Benson has two adult children, Rita LeBlanc and Ryan LeBlanc. “Tom Benson, 90, passed away peacefully Thursday, March 15 at Ochsner Medical Center with his wife Gayle Marie Benson at his side. Tom Benson and his first wife Shirley adopted three children: Robert Carter Benson, Renee Benson, and Jeanne Marie Benson. He interrupted his education to enlist in the U.S. Navy, where he was assigned to the USS South Dakota. “Benson, who parlayed his beginnings as a car salesman into an auto dealership empire, purchased the Saints in 1985 for $70 million and the franchise made the playoffs for the first time two years later,” USA Today reported.

Benson spent his final years in the exclusive Audubon Place neighborhood in New Orleans. Benson’s survived by his wife, Gayle. Learn more about his cause of death and the circumstances.

Powered by. Tom Benson Death. According to Forbes Magazine, Tom Benson had a net worth of $3 billion.

Benson first ended up in the hospital on February 16, according to USA Today. He died almost a month later in the same facility at Ochsner Medical Center. Learn about his death.

Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, is dead.

How did Tom Benson die?

“In 2012, Mr. Benson purchased the National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Hornets franchise from the NBA, which the following season, he rebranded and had renamed the New Orleans Pelicans,” the team statement said. He is survived by his wife Gayle. Tom passed away on March 15, 2018 at the age of 90 in Ochsner Medical Center, Louisiana, United States. “In 1985, Mr. Benson purchased the New Orleans Saints after learning that the NFL franchise was on the verge of being sold to parties interested in relocating the team. Rita Benson LeBlanc was Saints owner and executive vice president until Tom Benson fired her, her brother Ryan and her mother Renee, and wrote them out of his will. After 10 years of marital bliss, they renewed their vows on October 22, 2014, at the same venue.