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HAINES -- BENJAMIN HILL Dr. Benjamin Hill Haines, a Las Cruces oral surgeon, died Wednesday afternoon at his Las Cruces home of over 50 years. A native of the Mesilla Valley, Dr. Haines was born February 24, 1917, at Hill, NM, a small village established by his mother's family. Dr. Haines joined the Medical Detachment of the 120th Engineers, commanded by the well remembered Dr. Robert E. McBride while still in high school. Dr. McBride established the first hospital in Las Cruces. He attended New Mexico State University and received his dental degree from the University of Southern California. He was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon social fraternity, Delta Sigma Delta dental fraternity and Alpha Tau Epsilon, the honorary dental fraternity of U.S.C. After graduation from U.S.C., Dr. Haines established his practice in Las Cruces in 1941. During World War II, Dr. Haines served as a U.S. Army dental officer from 1942 until 1946. He received the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal with bronze stars for New Guinea, the Northern Solomon and the Western Pacific. Dr. Haines also received the Philippine Liberation Ribbon, World War II Victory Medal, and the American Theater Service Medal. During the Korean conflict, Dr. Haines again served as a dental officer with the Army from 1950 to 1952. Then, for the third time, he began his civilian practice in Las Cruces. Dr. Haines was very active in professional, civic and church work. He had been a member of 14 different professional organizations including The American Dental Association, The American College of Dentists,The Rocky Mountain society of Oral Surgeons, The New Mexico Dental Association and the Southwest District Dental Society. He was a Past President of The New Mexico Dental Association, Past President of the New Mexico State Board of Dental Examiners, and a three-time Past President of The Dona Ana County Dental Society. He was the first dentist to become a member of the Active Staff of Memorial General Hospital. He received this appointment, with unlimited privileges in oral surgery in 1960. On May 31, 1966, Dr. Haines was appointed to the Building committee of the new Memorial General Hospital, which opened on July 22, 1971. This was particularly significant in his life as Las Cruces had no hospital while he was growing up. The high point of Dr. Haines' professional career occurred in 1960 when he became the seventh New Mexico dentist to become a Fellow of the American college of Dentists (FACD). Dr. Haines has had numerous scientific articles published in the United States, South America, and in Europe. He also presented a paper before the scientific session of The American Dental Association in Philadelphia in 1961. Requests for reprints of his articles have been received from all over the world. For a number of years Dr. Haines was an active member of The Rotary Club. He was also the Past President of The 20 - 30 Club, and Founding President of the first Toastmasters Club of Las Cruces. In 1964, Dr. Haines was President of the Men of Saint James' Episcopal Church in Mesilla Park, NM, an organization he helped found. He was a licensed lay reader St. James and served several times as a member of the Vestry of that Church. As part of his continued work with the Church, he met with the Bishops of both the Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches to develop and establish the first joint retreat of the two Churches in the United States. This retreat took place in 1964 at the Holy Cross Retreat, Mesilla Park. Dr. Haines served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Dona Ana County from 1984 through his retirement in 1987 He had been a member of that board since 1961. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Julia Gifford Haines; his four sons with their wives, Ben H. Haines Jr. and Sandra Herkenhoff, Edward Morris and Nyeta LaDon Haines, Brian Douglas and Lilly Caballero Haines, and Brandon Hill and Nance Kells Haines; as well as his two granddaughters, Laura Sue Haines and Cynthia Elaine Reynolds; his niece, Dory West; and his nephew, Lee E. Haines, Jr. A viewing for Dr. Haines will be held at Graham's Mortuary Chapel located at 555 W. Amador Avenue this Sunday, June 24, 2007 from 4 to 6 p.m. with a guided evening prayer to be conducted at 5 p.m. Services will be held Monday morning, June 25, 2007 at 10 a.m. at Saint James' Episcopal Church in Mesilla Park, NM with interment to follow at Masonic Cemetery in Las Cruces. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to made in Dr Haines' honor to St. James' Episcopal Church in Mesilla, Park, NM. Arrangements are being made by Graham Mortuary, Las Cruces, NM. For those who knew him he was a man of great determination in seeking perfection in all things.
        Published on: Sat June 23, 2007