Mary E. (Cloney) Benjes, of Duxbury, passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her loving family on April 11, 2023. Affectionately known as "Mia" to family and friends, she was the beloved wife of William D. Benjes, Jr., of Duxbury; loving mother of Elizabeth V. Benjes of Cambridge, William D. "Bill" Benjes, III and his wife Lori of Lexington, and Sarah E. Benjes and her husband Aaron Ciszek of Eagle-Vail, CO; and cherished grandmother of Tommy, Jackie and Julian.   Daughter of the late William T. and Arline (Lynch) Cloney, Mia was the dear sister of Kathleen Cloney (Sandy) Dodge of Omaha, NE, and the late Martha Cloney (Brooke) Hamilton and William T. Cloney, III.

Born in Boston in 1938, Mia grew up in Milton, MA and spent summers with her family on third cliff in Scituate where she learned how to swim on Peggotty Beach and became an avid sailor, tennis player, and lifeguard at Scituate Harbor Yacht Club.

In eighth grade at Milton Junior High, she met her future husband, Bill, at a dance at Norumbega Park.  After graduating from Katherine Gibbs School and honing her artistic talents through classes at the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston, Mia became a stewardess for United Airlines, a job she loved for the adventure of travel.

Mia married Bill in June of 1962 and moved to Pennsylvania, where he was stationed as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force at Olmstead Air Force Base. The couple subsequently lived together in Staten Island, NY and then Rowayton, CT for ten years before settling in Duxbury, MA in 1976.

Mia loved children, animals, the beach, the ocean, reading, Bridge, Mahjong, gardening, cooking, playing tennis, swimming, kayaking, rooting for Boston sports teams, and above all, her family, her friends, and her pets. Throughout her life, she enriched the communities in which she lived through her dedicated volunteer work, her membership in multiple community groups, support of those in need, and fun-loving spirit.  In turn, she was rewarded with a large group of loyal friends, friendships she continued to grow and build upon at each stage of her life.

She will be remembered by her friends and her children's friends for her sharp wit, sparkling blue eyes, annual fourth of July parties, infectious laugh, and famous chocolate chip brownies.

She will be remembered by her extended family for her caring nature, her sincere interest in their lives and happiness, and her willingness to support them in any way.

She will be remembered by her immediate family for her dedication to their well-being, her reverence for and loving care of her own parents, her deep affection for each and every family pet as well as those of her friends, her intuitive and creative nature, and her pride and joy in her three cherished grandchildren.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Monday, April 17, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the Holy Family Church, 601 Tremont Street in Duxbury.

Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue: https://www.ygrr.org/ and the Alzheimer's Association of Massachusetts and New Hampshire: https://www.alz.org/manh .

For online guest book, driving directions and other helpful information please visit the website macdonaldfuneralhome.com