Sharon, NH – Guy Kenneth Benjamin
March 4, 1957 – May 14, 2026
On a rainy New Hampshire morning, with birdsong drifting through the windows of a crooked old house and his dog nearby, Guy Kenneth Benjamin passed peacefully at home after a short battle with cancer, holding the hand of the woman who loved him.
Guy – beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend, storyteller, and enthusiastic shaker of margaritas – spent his final days surrounded by family, pets, candlelight, music, spring blooms, stories, laughter, and tears. He was known for his wit, integrity, generosity, kindness, diligence, and fierce devotion to the people he loved. He treasured dawn coffee on the porch with his wife, along with Calvin, the dog he loved to complain about, and tequila sunsets beside a grill that was rarely cold. Given the chance, he never turned down a trip to the beach with his family. Given the opportunity, he never turned down spirited banter with his children. Usually, he started it.
Born in Plainfield, New Jersey, on March 4, 1957, to Barbara and Robert Benjamin, Guy spent his early years moving from place to place before eventually landing in Southern California, where he became unapologetically and unmistakably himself. After attending San Francisco State University and studying lighting design, he found his way into the theater community in Shreveport, Louisiana – and from there, into a remarkable career helping create unforgettable experiences for audiences around the world.
After freelancing and earning credibility in the music industry through early relationships with legends including The Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, and Bruce Springsteen, Guy joined Production Arts Image Systems Group, where he oversaw productions spanning music, television, and Broadway while helping develop projection technology for Pani and PIGI systems. It suited him perfectly: high pressure, creative chaos, impossible deadlines, and very little sleep.
In 2003, Guy joined forces with Peter Daniel to become Vice President of Pete’s Big TVs, where his work helped shape major sporting events, concerts, broadcasts, Broadway productions, and historic public gatherings. Over the years, projects included the Olympics, NFL Kickoff, the NHL Awards, Papal visits, presidential conventions, the opening of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, productions for Viacom (MTV, BET, Nickelodeon), and Broadway shows including Jersey Boys, Guys and Dolls, and Rock of Ages. He worked countless Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony events back when, as friends lovingly noted, “it was still basically dinner in a ballroom at the Waldorf.”
Guy had the rare ability to make stressful situations feel manageable and impossible productions somehow come together. Colleagues described him as a mischievous soul with an executive slide worthy of a championship medal, a grill master, a problem solver, and the kind of leader who made everyone around him better simply by being calm when everyone else was panicking. His sparkle was impish. His sarcasm was razor sharp. His humor occasionally wandered into territory that absolutely cannot be printed in a family obituary.
He loved music deeply and lit up whenever favorite artists took the stage. His purple velvet jacket became a legendary annual appearance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies. Friends and colleagues have shared countless versions of the same sentiment in recent days: “With Guy, it never felt like work.” Another wrote, “People wanted to work with him because he was steady under pressure and always brought the fun.”
More than anything, Guy loved his family. He is survived by his wife, Rhonda Zoch, of Sharon, New Hampshire; his stepdaughter Grace Newton of Sharon, NH; his stepson and daughter-in- law, Oscar Newton and Taylor Riethe of Wilton, NH; his stepdaughter Carabelle Newton of Wilton, NH; his step-grandchildren, Daisy Burton and Mads Newton; his sister and brother-in- law, Kerri and Ronnie Bates of Seattle,WA; his nieces and nephews, Taylor and Landon Brightwell of Russellville, AR, Madison and Scott Johnson of Norman, OK; his brother and sister-in-law, Robert Benjamin and Sue Benjamin; and his child Asa Benjamin ( formerly known as Ella) of Saint Paul, MN, along with many beloved extended family members, dear friends, colleagues, musicians, road warriors, backstage magicians, and fellow troublemakers who will carry his stories forward.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Barbara (Schuler) Benjamin and Robert Benjamin of Hot Springs, AR.
A celebration of Guy’s life will be held on August 22 at four o’clock in the afternoon at the family home in Sharon, New Hampshire. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services in Keene, NH. Donations may be made via their website, www.hcsservices.org.
The family also wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude to Nancy Folsom for her dedication, gentle spirit, and extraordinary care.
Guy leaves behind a quieter world, an enduring love, and approximately seventeen unfinished stories that got better every time he told them. May his laughter, music, mischief, and unmistakable sparkle remain woven through the lives of all who knew him.
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