Dr. Harvey Steven Benn

DR. HARVEY STEVEN BENN age 76, husband, father, grandfather, physician, scholar, and friend died on February 3, 2025. 

Dr. Benn was born in Phila. at St. Luke's Hospital on July 21, 1948, and was raised in Camden on Greenwood Ave. with his loving father Harry, mother Mae, and sister Suzette. Like many of his generation and in his neighborhood, he grew up poor, but happy, always with fond memories to recall of his times with his cronies in the neighborhood. He attended Parkside School before matriculating at Hatch Junior High. 

Dr. Benn set out with his family for the “country”, moving to Delaware Twp. (now Cherry Hill), where he attended and graduated from Cherry Hill HS (now Cherry Hill HS West) in 1966. There he would meet the love of his life, Iris (Bisnow), with whom he would share all of life's adventures for more than 50 yrs. 

Dr. Benn attended Rutgers Univ. Camden for college, graduating as a biology major in 1970, before attending Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, graduating in 1974. 

Upon graduation, Dr. Benn began his training as an intern and resident in internal medicine and subsequent fellowship in rheumatology at Hahnemann Univ. Hosp. He would always describe these years as an exhilarating and priceless education in medicine, business, and life.

 After completing his training, Dr. Benn and his wife set up practice in multiple locations, at one point operating six offices as an independent physician in South Jersey and Phila. He would often say that he crossed the bridges with such frequency that he was on a first name basis with most of the toll collectors. 

Upon retirement, Dr. Benn moved temporarily to FL, but unable to resist the allure of returning home to the northeast, he ultimately settled in Longport, where he would spend his time reading, learning, and discussing topics of interest with friends and family, often as the sun set over the bay. Before his passing, he and Iris completed multiple family histories, together with a beautiful family tree that his family will cherish for years to come. 

Blessed with a spectacular memory and a gift for gab, Dr. Benn remained an avid learner, vociferous reader, and thoughtful questioner of all things throughout his life. He took to heart the words of Rabbi Tarfon—namely, that while one is not obligated to finish the task, neither is one free to desist from it.

 He will be dearly missed. May his memory be for a blessing…always. 

Husband of Iris (nee Bisnow) Benn; Father of Adam (Melissa) Benn, Michael (Brenda) Benn, and Bryan (Michelle) Benn; Brother of Suzette (Steve) Kaigler; Grandfather of Emily, Shelby, Ethan, Leo, Avi, Eva, Lauren, Noah, and Nathan. 

Relatives and friends are invited to Funeral Services, Wednesday, 12:30 PM precisely at Goldsteins’ Rosenberg’s Funeral Directors, Inc., 6410 N. Broad St., Phila. Int. Mt. Lebanon Cem. Shiva will be observed at the home of Dr. Adam and Melissa Benn following interment until Friday. Shiva will continue Saturday Evening thru Tuesday afternoon at the home of Michael and Brenda Benn. Contributions in his memory may be made to Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, www.pcom.edu