Jefferson Radin Bender

Jefferson Radin Bender of California and Massachusetts, passed away on March 8, 2023. Born to the late Jefferson Robert Bender and Lilian Cecelia Bender (née Radin) in 1934, he was prepared at Lawrence Academy before graduating from Harvard College and Harvard Business School. While at Harvard, he lived in Winthrop House and was a member of the Hasty Pudding Club studying Anthropology and French. He later served in the U.S. Army. After working in the financial sector with mutual funds, he moved to his mother’s native California in 1974 to participate in the family business. At the age 38, he immersed himself into one of his biggest loves: music. He eventually became a renowned pianist and banjoist in the styles of New Orleans Revival Jazz and Ragtime and played with bands in the San Francisco Bay such as The Magnolia Jazz Band, one of the premier ensembles in the area. He additionally served on the board of Directors for the University Club of Palo Alto, The Foothill-De Anza Community College, and the Music Guild at Stanford University.

He will be remembered for his profound and curious intellect, his musical talents, his affinity for technical gadgetry and tinkering, and his love for his family.

He is survived by his beloved daughter, Jennifer E. Bender and his grandchildren, Carlos-Henri Ferré, and Elizabeth-Isolina Ferré.