Four decades of service

Established in 1966 as Dededo Junior High School, Dededo Middle School was renamed Vicente SA Benavente Middle School on February 10, 1999. I Mina Bente Singko na Liheslaturan Guåhan / the 25th Guam Legislature had passed a resolution supporting the then-Guam Board of Education’s intention to rename the school in honor of the educator turned civic leader.

Benavente was born 4 November 1913. He married Josefina Cruz Perez and together they had eight children: Oliva, Edward, John, Alfred, Patricia, Anthony, Barbara and Elaine.

Benavente began his professional career in the field of education in the 1940s. He was a teacher and school principal in various schools including Tamuning Elementary School, the former Dededo Elementary School, and Yigo Elementary School (now DL Perez Elementary).

Benavente was active in community organizations as well serving as president of the Parent Teacher Associations at Santa Barbara Catholic School, Maria Ulloa Elementary School and Wettengel Elementary School, all in Dededo. Vicente SA Benavente was also president of the advisory councils at the then-Dededo Junior High School and John F. Kennedy High School in Tamuning.

He went on to serve on multiple government and community boards and as president of the District Government Council, predecessor of the Mayor’s Council of Guam. He was also municipal commissioner of Dededo village for nearly twenty years from 1952 until his retirement from government service on 30 April 1976. His granddaughter, Melissa B. Savares, currently serves as mayor of Dededo and is a former president of the mayors council.

Benavente died on 24 April 1983, at the age of 69.

By Patricia Long Diego

For further reading

Guam Legislature. Relative to Endorsing and Supporting the Board of Education’s Intent to Renaming [sic.] the Dededo Middle School to the “Vicente SA Benavente Middle School,”… Resolution no. 14 (LS). 3 February 1999.

Vicente S.A. Benavente Middle School. “HOME OF THE ROADRUNNERS.”