Beneville family unveils headstone at Richard Beneville’s gravesite

Under grey skies with the lightest of rains, dozens of Nomeites and Beneville family members gathered at Belmont Point Cemetery on Wednesday, July 10 at 5 p.m. for the unveiling of the headstone at the grave of the late, great, and flamboyant Mayor Richard Beneville.
Beneville died on May 11, 2020 during his third term in office.

A resident of Nome for 32 years, he was not only mayor, but for years shepherded Nome Elementary school students through afterschool programs, inspired Nomeites of all ages to perform in theater plays and musicals he directed and was well-known as a gifted tour guide who passionately shared his love for Nome and its surroundings. Beneville was on the board of the Alaska Chamber of Commerce, vice president of the Nome Community Center, and a member of the Alaska Travel Industry Association, the Arctic Waterways Safety Committee, the Bering Strait Economic Council and the Nome Arts Council.

Mayor John Handeland sound checked the mic as the events were starting with a low, “Hello, Central!” as the people formed a crescent shape around the white cross marking Beneville’s grave that is capped off with his trademark top hat.

Susan Beneville, niece and goddaughter of Beneville, kicked off the gathering with a speech about the importance of Nome to her late uncle, and vice versa, and how important it is for their family to recognize those ties.

“We wanted to have a moment where we could just thank you. For me the creation of the headstone is a way to honor Richard, but it’s also a way to honor his connection to the people of Nome,” she said.

Michael, Maverick and Derrick Beneville pulled away the purple velvet covering the new headstone to reveal a stunning piece of black granite that had Beneville’s name and dates etched into it, along with a quote and clear image of him.

Susan Beneville read the inscription to the crowd, “A New York showman who found his home and himself in Nome. He served, entertained, and was devoted to this town and all of its people. He was loved by one and all.”

People placed flowers on his grave, and then others scattered sea glass over it.

A Beneville family friend, Shelly, wearing a flowing blue dress, sang a moving song, “Simple Gifts”, singing, “We’ll be in a valley of love and delight.”

Mayor Handeland took the mic for a stint, talking about how Richard was the town’s best promoter and explaining that Richard had requested to buried in a place where he could watch airplanes come and go. He also explained that the director’s chair on the grave is the actual one that Richard used, and that soon they would replace it with something more permanent.

Sure enough, during the ceremony, a single engine plane glided above as it came in for landing at the airport.

As it was announced the next portion of the ceremony would be moved to St. Joes, handshakes and hugs were had by many.

“He helped me a lot,” Boogles Johnson was overheard saying, referring to Richard.

At St. Joe’s, a big screen TV at the head of a smattering of chairs displayed a slideshow of photos of Beneville in various settings. To the side there was a healthy spread of food and by the door there were copies of Nugget newspaper of the time when Richard passed away.
Derrick Beneville, Richard’s nephew, began the indoor remembrance by thanking the town of Nome and sharing his own tidbits of experiences with his uncle and the town over the years. He shared how blown away he was that the governor ordered flags flown at half-staff all around the state upon his uncle’s death.

“The biggest thing I remember about Uncle Richard was that his passion was the people of Nome,” Derrick said.

Emily Riedel, with her mother accompanying her on guitar, sang a spine-tingling operatic rendition of Ave Maria, a Bach and Schubert composition, that reverberated off the walls and set the tone for the honorary evening.

Another nephew of Beneville’s, Michael, spoke of his own formative year spent with his uncle in Nome before college. He then spoke of how impactful his uncle was on people he met around the world, including “titans of industry” in NYC, who still asked about Richard to this day.

“I think what’s really extraordinary about his life is that at 75, he did die too soon, too young, but he did die completely,” he said poetically, implying Richard had lived to the fullest extent.

Jake Kenick recited a poem that he had written about the late mayor. It ended with the lines: “You’re sewn into our fabric / You’ve aged like brilliant wine / You’ve made us all eclectic / And that makes you divine / We toast a man for all the times / From future to ancestral / And bid to you a fond farewell / By saying “Hello Central.”

“Hello Central” was a radio show that Mayor Richard had started, named after the phrase uttered by old operator’s assistance at central exchange before people could dial their phones. But it evolved into a call sign for himself and, eventually, Nome, as he came to embody the spirit of the town. It was also one of the last things the mayor said on his death bed.

Sitting down, Nellie Weyiouanna, sang the crowd a rendition of “My Real Home.”

Augie Krutzsch gave one of the longer speeches of the evening, marked by theatrical gesticulations and tears welling heavily in his eyes. Other’s eyes filled up, too. He recounted what an oddball and utterly important mentor Richard was to him. He told a story about the first time Richard brought tourists to his gold mine. It inspired him to enter the tourist industry himself. And Krutzsch emphasized the importance of a famous catch phrase, “The show must go on,” which Richard used often himself.

Krutzsch finished his speech by thanking the family for coming up and helping everyone find closure.