Benjamin Joseph Zerbey

Benjamin Joseph Zerbey, resident of Las Cruces, died peacefully at his home on Thursday, November 4, 2010 at the age of 85. He and his wife Jane Meyer Zerbey have resided in Las Cruces since 1982 after Ben retired from 32 years of service in the National Park Service. He was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1925 to John F. Zerbey and Florence Smith Zerbey. He graduated from Pottsville High School, served honorably in the U. S. Navy in WWII, and earned a degree in political science from the University of New Mexico. In 1950, Ben began his career as a seasonal guide at Carlsbad Caverns National Park and was assigned as a permanent ranger at Saguaro National Monument in Tucson, Arizona. He was chief ranger at Isle Royale National Park, Houghton, Michigan; superintendent of Hopewell National Historic Site near Reading, PA and Minuteman National Historic Park, Concord, MA. He was general superintendent of the Boston Group of Parks, Boston, MA; chief, Office Operations Evaluation and deputy regional director of Mid Atlantic Regional Office, Philadelphia, PA; and assistant to the regional director of Utah District Office of national parks. Ben was recently a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary. He was a member of Serra Club. Working to improve vocations in the Church was dear to his heart. He served as a member of the state land office advisory board for 11 years and on the NM executive committee of the Sierra Club. Ben was a life-long sports enthusiast, who enjoyed hiking, jogging, camping, and skiing. He was a faithful steward of nature. He is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Jane; daughters Sara Courtney (Baton Rouge, LA) and Charlotte Certini and her husband, Alessandro (Sesto Fiorentino, Italy); by sons Roderic Zerbey (Maynard, MA), Mark Zerbey and his wife Anna (Albuquerque), Benjamin "Joe" Zerbey and his wife Michele (Lititz, PA) and Rafael Zerbey (Las Cruces); by granddaughters Gabrielle Laurent Prohn (Durham, NC), Taylor Zerbey (Los Angeles, CA), Alexandra Zerbey (Newton, MA), Corianne Zerbey (Maynard, MA), Olivia Zerbey (Albuquerque) and by grandsons Nicolas Certini (Sesto Fiorentino, Italy), and Zack Zerbey (Las Cruces). He is predeceased by his parents, brother John and sisters Florence and Margaret. A rosary will be said at 2:00 pm on Friday, November 12, 2010 followed by a funeral mass at Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral, 1240 S. Espina St., Las Cruces, NM. There will be a service at San Felipe Catholic Church in Albuquerque, NM later in the month. Interment will be at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM. In lieu of flowers, donations to the vocations endowment may be sent to the Diocese of Las Cruces Foundation Inc., 1280 Med Park Drive, Las Cruces, NM 88005 or to the Southwest Environmental Center, 275 N. Downtown Mall, Las Cruces, NM 88001. PDF Printable Version