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Carl F. Benscheidt, 74

Carl F. Benscheidt went to heaven on Sept. 29, 2018, after a long battle with dementia, surrounded by family. He was born in Long Beach, Calif., in 1944. After serving as an Air Force medic in Vietnam, he attended Cal State Long Beach, earning a degree in television and radio. There he met the love of his life, his wife Lisa. Together they worked on various soaps, sitcoms and talk shows in Hollywood. Carl became the West Coast director for the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather. He and Lisa joined the Navy Reserves as public affairs officers, eventually retiring as Commanders, always joking about who outranked who.

He and Lisa started the Benscheidt Communications Group and moved their family to Hayden Lake in 1988, where they built their dream home on the lake. There, he would look upon the lake while fielding calls from high profile clients seeking his expertise in communication crisis management.

BCG also took him and Lisa around the country, training clients and speaking to groups, for many years. He loved playing tennis, poker, sailing, flying and giving people the times of their lives as he towed them behind the boat on the lake. He was known for his hilarious and silly sense of humor, his caring and empathetic heart, and his willingness to always help anyone. Despite enormous success in his career, he was most proud of his family and the life he and Lisa created in this community.

He is survived by his wife, Lisa of 48 years; his children, Lisa, John Carl, Mary and Annie; his kids through marriage, Rich Clubine and Meghan MacDonald; his three grandchildren, Owen, Drew and Grant Karl, who all idolized him; as well as a large extended family of which he was the patriarch.

A service for this incredible man will be held at at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 5, 2018, at his church of 30 years, St. Pius X, 625 E. Haycraft Ave., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with a reception to follow.

Carl will be laid to rest at 11:15 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 8, 2018, at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery, 21702 W. Espanola Road, Medical Lake, WA 99022.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made in his name to Hospice of North Idaho, 2290 W. Prairie Ave., Coeur d’ Alene, ID 83815, www.hospiceofnorthidaho.org, or the Alzheimer’s Association,

www.alz.org.

Yates Funeral Home is entrusted with final arrangements. Please visit Carl’s online memorial and sign his guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.