Carol Jane Benham passed away peacefully on September 14, 2025, at the age of 76.

Carol was born on October 3,1949, in Oklahoma City to Wayne and Billie Benham.

She attended elementary and middle school in Lompoc and graduated from Lompoc High School in 1967.

Carol lived in Sacramento, CA for over 25 years. She was the Press Secretary for the California House of Representatives and speech writer for the Speaker of the House for many years. She worked for Candy Lightner, the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD), writing all their press releases and any other communication needed by that organization until MADD was moved to Texas. Carol then worked for American River Hospital in Sacramento for several years as Press Secretary. It was at that time she won the Merit Award for Excellence in creative advertising in 1990. The beautiful portrait she designed, and her written words were seen not only in Sacramento, but in magazines: Time, US News, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated.

After American River Hospital became part of a larger hospital, Carol returned to Lompoc. In Lompoc she worked for the Lompoc Record and Santa Maria Times as a reporter and editor. Her column "Common Sense and Candor" was published in the Lompoc Record 2010 through 2011 until health issues prevented Carol from continuing.

Carol was a voracious reader, an expressive writer, and passionate about animals, giving to Care4paws and rescuing cats and dogs as her own.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her older sister Billie Kay Dimattia. Carol is survived by 3 siblings and several nieces and nephews, and several grand nieces and nephews.

Donations in honor of Carol may be made to:

(a)  Lompoc Theatre Project    46-13337106

https://lompoctheatre.org/give

(b)  Foodbank of Santa Barbara County   77-0169214

https://foodbanksbc.org/

(c)   C.A.R.E.4Paws     27-0207473

https://care4paws.org/