Renee Benson Story

CORDELE – Renee Benson Story, 50, passed away Tuesday, December 28, 2021. Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m., Monday, January 3, 2022, in the chapel of Hughes and Wright Funeral Home. The family will receive friends starting at 2 p.m. before the service. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Omicron variant, masks are highly recommended and social distancing maintained.

Memorial gifts may be given to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478,
Oklahoma City, OK 73123 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Mrs. Story was born in Americus, Ga. to Bobby Clayton Benson and Sara Ann Fitzgerald Benson. Renee loved traveling and visiting different National Parks. She loved attending music events and collecting autographs. Mrs. Story’s favorite country artist was Martina McBride. She was also a breast cancer survivor.

Renee attended Georgia Southern University Engineering Transfer Program in conjunction with Georgia Institute of Technology studying Pre-Engineering (1990 -1992). She was a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology (1992-1994) where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering. She continued her education and graduated from Vanderbilt University – Owen Graduate School of Management receiving her Master of Business Administration Degree (2000-2002).

Renee excelled in her career after college. She was Executive Director of Plant Management at GE Appliance a Haier Company. Renee held several awards from her time at work being named one of the Top 100 Women in Manufacturing, awarded the Plant Leadership Award in 2014, a founding member of Women in Manufacturing Alabama Chapter 2020, Technical Leadership Program Recognition and Merit Award, and 2016 STEP Award winner from Science Technology Engineering and Production. Her plant was also awarded Assembly Plant of the Year in 2019 by Assembly Magazine. She was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce in Morgan County/Decatur, Alabama.

Renee has worked at GEA for 26 years and specifically at DPO for 25 years. Since joining DPO in 1996, she has held numerous roles of increasing responsibility and scope, including Business Team Leader 17’/18’ Case and Main Assembly, Shop Operations Manager, Materials Manager, Quality Materials Manager, and Business Quality Leader and Plant Manager. With a background steeped in quality, she has been instrumental in continuing to maintain “Best in Class” quality methods throughout the plant. She is a recipient of the Manufacturing Institute STEP Ahead Award, DPO CIB Chair (2017), a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and Master Black, and has received two Technical Leadership Program (TLP) Merit Corporate Recognition Awards.

She is survived by her husband: Chris Story of Decatur, Ala.; her parents: Bobby and Sara Ann Fitzgerald Benson of Cordele, Ga.; her aunts: Cheri Butterworth of Cordele and Dana Holliday of Pitts, Emily Wise of Atlanta, Shirley Miller and her husband Robert of Pitts, Judy Tripp and her husband Joe of Pitts and Sharon Martin and her husband Noel of Camilla.; her father-in-law and mother-in-law: Bill and Marvlyn Story of Fitzgerald, Ga.; her brothers-in-law: Whit Story and his wife Wendy of Fitzgerald and Russ Story and his wife Julie of Douglas, Ga.; and several nieces and nephews.

Online condolences may be left at www.hughesandwright.com. Hughes & Wright Funeral Home, Inc. is entrusted with these arrangements.