Person:Jo Cahill (1)
Jo Ann M. Cahill
b.27 Aug 1927 Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States
d.5 Mar 2006 Los Angeles, California, United States
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m. 30 Oct 1962
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Facts and Events
Name Jo Ann M. Cahill
Married Name Joann Benci
Gender Female
Birth[4] 27 Aug 1927 Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States
Marriage 30 Oct 1962 Los Angeles, California, United Statesto Donald E. Matthews
Divorce Jan 1966 Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United Statesfrom Donald E. Matthews
Death[3][4] 5 Mar 2006 Los Angeles, California, United States
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About Jo Ann Benci

Jo Ann Benci was born 27 August 1927 in Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa. Jo Ann's parents moved to Los Angeles when she was 15 years old. Her father was a butcher and operated the Meat Department at a Hub Market in the Los Feliz District of Los Angeles. She graduated from Hollywood High School and attended Los Angeles City College.

Jo Ann's early jobs were in the modeling field, modeling in showrooms and later she was assiged to direct sales where she modeled and sold the line to buyers in their store offices. After a short-lived marriage to Donald E. Matthews and a daughter Debbie, she became a single parent and started working as a product demonstrator. An early client, Norm Liebman of Servette hired her to demonstrate a new salad dressing in Shopping Bag supermarkets, and as she grew more popular, she was asked to find additional people to demonstrate and to train them her selling techniques. This led to the beginning of her business career and she formed her own company in September 1958 with only 12 demonstrators. As her business grew, she hired additional product demonstrators and Jo Ann Benci Demo Service became the premier product demonstration service in Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, and she had an active staff of over 500 people, with another 300 "on call".

During her career, Jo Ann Benci was very active in a local Southern California food-industry trade association, the Dairy/Deli/Bakery Council (DDBC), an organization that still exists today in 2014.
Jo Ann was first recognized by the Deli Council in December 1983, when she received its "Big Cheese" Award, and again later was recognized for her leadership and service in the Deli industry over the years when she received the DDBC's "Hall of Fame" Award in 1999. She was also an active member of the Frozen Food Council, the Long Beach Sales Club, and served as President of the Merchandising Executives Club in 1975.

Jo Ann Benci passed away on 5 March 2006, and was survived by her daughter Debbie, a successful attorney and Debbie's husband Ivor Woodward. Her passion, dedication and support of the food industry will always be remembered.

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References
  1.   U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1. (United States).

    U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1
    Name: Joann M Benci
    [Benci Jo Ann]
    Birth Date: 27 Aug 1927
    Phone Number: 843-7666
    Address: 19437 Collier St, Tarzana, CA, 91356-3012 (1993)
    [914 S Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA, 91502-2429 (1993)]

  2.   U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1. (United States).

    U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 1
    Name: Joann Benci Matthews
    [Joann Benci Matthews]
    [Joann Benci matthe]
    [Benci Jo Ann]
    Birth Date: 27 Aug 1927
    Phone Number: 843-2666
    Address: 19437 Collier St, Tarzana, CA, 91356-3012 (1993)
    [914 S Victory Blvd, Burbank, CA, 91502-2429 (1987)]
    [4600 Via, Venice, CA, 90291]

  3. ↑ Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index: Death Master File, database. (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service).

    U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
    Name: Joann M. Matthews
    Last Residence: 91356 Tarzana, Los Angeles, California
    BORN: 27 Aug 1927
    Died: 5 Mar 2006
    State (Year) SSN issued: Iowa (Before 1951)

  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Joan Marie (Cahill) (Matthews) Benci, in United States. Social Security Administration. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007. (Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, 2015).

    born 27 Aug 1927 in Waterloo, Iowa
    died 5 Mar 2006
    parents: Leo J Cahill and Marvel I Vaughn

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