Omar Jason Bender

Omar “Jason” Bender, 88 of Grantsville, Maryland, went to meet his Heavenly Father on April 26, 2024. Born May 4, 1935, in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Omar C. and Norma (Maust) Bender. He was preceded in death by his wife, Esther (Miller-Yoder) Bender, daughter, Wendy (Bender-Smith) Formet, 6 brothers, Austin, Richard, Elam, Leland, Mark, and Loren Bender, and a sister, Doris Kintner. He grew up and worked on his family’s dairy farm until the age of 18, and later obtained his GED. He graduated in 1986 from Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology. Throughout his life span, Jason wore various, “work hats.” He worked as a mental health/occupational assistant (Cleveland, Ohio), Greyhound Bus Lines as a terminal manager, (Youngstown & Cleveland, Ohio), owner-operator of Dog ‘n Suds/Bender Enterprises (Woodstock, Illinois), self-employed and with his brothers in construction (West Virginia and Grantsville, Maryland), Soil conservation (Morgantown, West Virginia), Yoder’s Locker Plant (Grantsville, Maryland), Casselman Lumber (Grantsville, Maryland), Penn Alps (Grantsville, Maryland), and Community Action (Oakland, Maryland). He was also on the Board of Directors at Meyersdale Hospital in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, as well as volunteered his time. Jason had a love of God and all things nature. You could find him birdwatching out his window, holding birds in his hands and growing beautiful flower gardens. He leaves behind, and will be missed by, three daughters, Robin (Bender) Rishel and husband, Rodney (Chic), of Little Orleans, Maryland, Brandi (Bender-Palmer) Paugh, and husband, Eric, of Oakland, Maryland, Ramona (Yoder) Gillum, and husband Greg, of Grantsville, Maryland, Renatta (Yoder)Glotfelty, and husband, Randy, of Grantsville, Maryland. Jason also leaves behind his cherished grandchildren: Ronald Smith Jr., and wife, Mary, Candace Poling, and husband, Devin, Kenny Barnes, Ryan Palmer, and wife, Angel Palmer, Brenden Palmer, Airica Browning and husband, Austin, Brock Glotfelty and wife, Becca, Bethani Hayhurst and husband, Christopher, Whitney Glotfelty, and partner, Marcus Brock, Kyle Gillum, and wife, Kelsay. He leaves behind 21 great-grandchildren: Kyleigh Hagerty, Koltyn, Breyton, Breylon, and Jazlynn Poling, Zakary and Kelcie Smith, Cole, Bryan, and Teagan Palmer, Alaina Thomas, Addi and Sawyer Browning, Lila and Austin Hayhurst, Kace, Klayton, and Karder Gillum, Braxton Glotfelty, Jordan Lane, and Jaxon Flanagan. We would especially like to thank Lynette Bender, niece, caregiver, and friend of Jason! His "Celebration of Life" will be at Oak Dale Church 9201 Mason Dixon Hwy Salisbury, PA 15558 on September 7, 2024 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers or donations, we ask that you hang a bird feeder, plant a flower or tree in his memory.