Benita Christine Ekman 

1940 – 2026

Benita Christine Ekman, 85, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by love. Benita was born in Cannes, France, to Jean Rima and Mohammad Ben Jamai. Her parents, along with her stepfather Jim Cronan, preceded her in death. She spent much of her childhood growing up in Santa Monica, California, and lived a life full of adventure, reinvention, compassion, and resilience. As a young woman, Benita was part of the entertainment world as a singer, dancer, and circus performer. She had a vibrant spirit and a love for creativity and performance that stayed with her throughout her life. Later, as a single mother, she made the courageous decision to return to school and earned her master’s degree in psychology. She went on to dedicate her career to helping others as a psychologist, working for many different organizations and touching countless lives through her compassion, wisdom, and understanding. Benita was married twice, most recently to Richard Ekman, whom she married in Oxnard, California. Richard preceded her in death about 20 years ago. She was deeply devoted to her faith and was a member of the Catholic Church. Benita was also proudly sober through Alcoholics Anonymous for 39 years, offering support, encouragement, and hope to many people throughout her journey. Throughout her life, Benita lived in Santa Monica, Venice, Oxnard, Malibu, San Diego, Carlsbad, Ramona, and finally Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. No matter where she lived, she carried with her a deep love for the outdoors, the ocean, art, books, animals, and people. She had an enormous heart and spent her life helping others. She was known for taking in “strays” — both people and animals — and would help anyone who needed kindness, encouragement, or simply a place to feel safe and loved. She loved animals so deeply she wouldn’t even kill spiders or ants. Benita is survived by her daughter Kimberly Weatherford and son-in-law James Weatherford; grandchildren Lonnie Peterson, Seth Peterson, Christopher Cox, Katherine Cox, and Murphy Weatherford; great-grandchildren Collin, Riley, Jaxon, Kade, Elias, Abraham, Dana, Bella, Serena, and Lilly; and great-great-grandchildren CJ, Keliani, Leilani, Espyn, and Ivory. She is also survived by her sister KT Banks; nieces and nephews Samantha and Justin Stevens and Erin and Ricky Quorp; and grand-nephews Ricky, Landon, JJ, and Colton. She was preceded in death by her brother-in-law Rick Banks and her sister Chug Cronan. Benita will be remembered for her generous spirit, her strength, her humor, her resilience, and the unconditional love she gave so freely. She leaves behind a family who adored her and many lives that are better because she was in them.