By Bert MacNabb

I will always remember Beni as a loyal friend, teacher and most importantly a family man.

I remember arriving in Jakarta with my family and being warmly welcomed by Beni and Soffie and made to feel comfortable in our new surroundings.  During my time in Indonesia Beni made sure he introduced me to as many people as possible in order to be able to work effectively.   Additionally and more importantly he and Soffie were a team and introduced us to many of their friends and family, giving us the opportunity to make new friends during our time in Jakarta.   Any time we were ill or needed help Beni was always only a phone call away to provide whatever assistance he could.

Throughout the time I have known Beni he generously shared his vast knowledge of Indonesia, its customs and history.  He patiently answered all my questions some of which, when I think back, were rather naive and perhaps could even be regarded as dumb.   He was so proud of Indonesia he never missed an opportunity to praise its virtues.  Beni was not only a teacher but also a keen observer and during the transition to democracy in Indonesia we had many discussions about where he felt the country was headed.  I recall during one of the early elections he showed his usual insight into human nature when he observed that an election was a popularity contest which meant that the winner was not necessarily the most qualified person for the post.  I will miss future opportunities to have these discussions with Beni.

Last but not least was Beni’s family.  When he spoke about his and Soffie’s families and their accomplishments he was always modest but you could sense his deep pride in their accomplishments.  On the other hand when he spoke about his children you did not sense but could actually see the pride in his eyes.  Given the time he would not hesitate to talk about all of their activities and what they were doing.  I remember telling him about my grandchildren and with a bit of envy he would express the hope that he would have grandchildren someday.  When the grandchildren arrived he was so happy to be a proud grandfather, he never missed an opportunity to tell you that his grandchildren were the best and brightest ever borne and he loved them dearly.

I am very fortunate to have had Beni as a colleague and friend and I will miss him greatly.  I know that with the kindness he showed to people and the love he had for his family he will rest in peace as he accomplished a lot during his time in this world.