Benner Thompson Cummings

Benner Thompson Cummings, 89, died peacefully on the evening of Jan. 28.

He was born on July 5, 1926, in Spokane.

From an early age, Benner exhibited values of hard work, dedication and perseverance. A Naval veteran, he was a signalman during WWII.

A true gentlemen and a scholar, he attended Washington State University on a swimming scholarship, where he balanced his love of the sport as captain of the swim team, with his love of fraternity as an upstanding member of Sigma Chi.

Benner was the beloved coach of the Ritzville Swim Club from 1952-1965. The accomplishments of his swim teams during that period were legendary. The Ritzville Swim Club was the most dominant swim team in the Pacific Northwest winning more AAU championships than any of the other clubs they competed against during those 14 years.

In continuance with his respect for the power of knowledge and athleticism, Benner went on to become a world history teacher and swimming and cross country coach at San Clemente High School.

His teaching and coaching career spanned 42 years, primarily in the Capistrano Unified School District.

Benner was recognized as Teacher of the Year and Citizen of the Day, among many others, but his true recognition lies in the lives of the students, athletes and friends who he inspired.

The sound of his humble voice instilled a sense of great honor and when coupled with his clever and witty sense of humor, his way of teaching was unlike any other.

Benner was a legendary coach, as evident in the dedication and success of his athletes. He looked beyond a purely physical approach and educated athletes on the significance of the mental aspects of competition. Above all, he enlightened his athletes to play with their hearts.

It is not often that we encounter someone as genuine and true to themselves as Benner, a man whose success was only outweighed by his modesty. He had a heart of gold.

Benner’s pastimes bridged avenues of history, travel, art collection and writing. He had an immense ability to relate any aspect of every day life to a great story of past civilizations. He published a book of poetry, “Down Along the Sunset” and also wrote for the San Clemente Journal for 10 years.

A passage from his poem, A Thousand Snow White Dolphins: “Today the ocean appeared to have a fleet of snow white dolphins, riding upon its back. A thousand snow white dolphins and I. Riding our waves to the shore.”

As we look out to the great power of the sea, may we be reminded of the great character of Benner T. Cummings, an extraordinary individual whose presence will move generations to come.

Benner is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Mary Cummings.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association. A family gathering was held.