By Alan Spence

My contact with Beni was initially on Inco supervisory trips from Sydney, Australia, starting about 1967, then from a Toronto HQ and ultimately on friendly visits both in Mississauga and Jakarta. My impressions of Beni therefore grew through many short encounters over a period of nearly 40 years.

Exploration base camp was centered at Malili where I remember such a vibrant group of geologists with roots in Indonesia, Canada, India, Pakistan, Australia and America. Together with their on-site wives, the co-operation, collaboration and spirit of the Malili residents was amazing to me.

Beni was the key geologist of the excellent Indonesian geological team. Over time he gained the respect of PT Inco Management, taking on a broad range of assignments, and was an important guide to Inco relations with the Indonesian Mines Department.

As a person he had so many attributes. He was the voice of stability, a strong communicator and a problem solver. With a quiet competence he rose through the company’s ranks without seeking the limelight. I remember Beni as a good friend, a gentleman in every sense of the word and, together with his charming wife Soffie, providing wonderful Indonesian hospitality.

Alan Spence

December 2012