One of William T. Benedict’s great joys was that during his decades of volunteer work as a theater historian and archivist, old theaters across the country were restored more frequently and accurately.
Mr. Benedict, 81, who shared the credit for that trend, died of complications from a lung biopsy on Sunday, May 26, in Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago.
Mr. Benedict organized the Theatre Historical Society of America’s archive from a bunch of boxes in a basement to a collection of slides, photos, documents, blueprints and artifacts–a resource that reflected his own vast knowledge and love of the antique buildings.
“He was thrilled that renovation has become more authentic,” said Richard Sklenar, the executive director of the Elmhurst-based society. “I think that’s partially because they knew they could call Bill.”
Born and raised in Royal Oak, Mich., Mr. Benedict entered Illinois State University in the early 1940s, then joined the Army Air Forces and served as a teletype operator in the Pacific theater during World War II. He returned to Normal and received his undergraduate degree in education in 1948, later earning a master’s in organ performance from Columbia University in New York.
In 1953 Mr. Benedict went to work in Oak Park as an elementary school music teacher, and he retired from Beye School 24 years later.
In the 1960s he became involved with the Chicago Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts. He became chairman of the group by 1969 and deftly publicized the shows it sponsored, said a longtime friend and colleague, Joseph DuciBella.
Retired since 1977, Mr. Benedict lived on the Near North Side and would travel by train and bus on Tuesdays and Thursdays to the Theatre Historical Society in Elmhurst. There, he volunteered until two weeks before his death, tending to the archives on more than 9,000 theaters.
While he delighted most in the renovation of small-town theaters, he also fought to save the Chicago Theatre in the early 1980s. Since its renovation in 1986, he had been a volunteer usher there, the man in the balcony whom other ushers pointed out when patrons asked about its history.
“He was generous with his time and with his knowledge,” Sklenar said. “He was always contributing, putting something back in the world.”
Mr. Benedict is survived by his brother, Gerald.
A memorial service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the York Theatre, 150 N. York St., Elmhurst.
