[8][9], She grew up in Algiers, New Orleans and attended St. Joseph, St. Anthony and Holy Name of Mary schools. [CDATA[ Owner of New Orleans Saints American football team and New Orleans Pelicans Basketball team. Learn more about Tom Benson’s wife with details from Gayle Benson’s wiki. Their attorney, Randy Smith, hasn't commented on their intentions. // ]]> Her first marriage at the age of 19 ended in divorce and annulment within a year. Undated photo of (from left) Ryan LeBlanc, Renee Benson, Tom Benson and Rita LeBlanc. He fired the three jilted heirs from their jobs at his companies and banned them from any further contact with him. Tom Benson, a self-made billionaire who owned the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans, passed away on Thursday, March 15, 2018, at the age of 90. Gayle and Tom Benson first met each other at St. Louis Cathedral. // <! Louisiana law gives relatives up to five years to decide whether they want to challenge the validity of a will. "We don't know anyone's plans," Cordes said. Gayle Benson, as wife No. Archbishop Gregory Aymond officiated the ceremony. ", "Gayle and Tom Benson renew their wedding vows in celebration of their 10th anniversary", "Ten Years Later, Saints Owners Tom and Gayle Benson say "I Do" Again", "Tom and Gayle Benson receive highest papal honor for their generosity to Catholic Church", "Tom Benson, Tycoon Who Danced With His Saints, Dies at 90", "Tulane names new football venue Yulman Stadium", Tulane's field to be named for Benson – San Antonio Express-News, "Tulane stadium, field, club seats to honor donors", "Gayle and Tom Benson Give $20 Million for Cancer Care, Research", "Benson family donates historic $20 million to Ochsner Cancer Institute", "Gayle Benson to donate $5 million to Jesuit High – the largest gift in school history", "Gayle Benson donates $3.5 million to Second Harvest Food Bank", "Gayle & Tom Benson Charitable Foundation makes $1 million gift to Children's of Mississippi", "Judge considers Tom Benson trust change jurisdiction", "Tom Benson family feud: Saints, Pelicans ownership struggle focus of hearing", "In court, Pelicans owner claims family members 'tried to kill' him", "Trial for Tom Benson's Saints, Pelicans ownership dispute moved to February", "Benson and his heirs reach settlement in contentious ownership battle", "Tom Benson settles Saints, Pelicans ownership dispute", "Spurned daughter, grandchildren sue Saints owner for writing them out of will", "Report: TX judge freezes large chunk of Benson assets", "Tom Benson deserves better than this squabble", "Prenuptial agreement wouldn't keep Gayle Benson from taking over Saints, Pelicans, expert says", "Saints' Owner Marches Out of Step With His Heirs' Expectations", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gayle_Benson&oldid=985618741, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 October 2020, at 23:24. // ]]> Generally, trusts are set up by people who want to leave their descendants with money generated by their holdings while tasking someone else with managing the various interests, Nathan said. Gayle Benson, as wife No. She advanced her education at Martin Behman High school. [56], In March 2019 the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Trust donated $3.5 million to Second Harvest[57], In September 2019 the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Trust donated $1 million to the campaign of Children's of Mississippi to build a playground at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The wedding ceremony took place at the Immaculate Conception Memorial Chapel. From the Saints in the NFL to the Hornets and Pelicans in the NBA to horses in the Kentucky Derby, Tom Benson shaped the New Orleans sport sce…. People have been so happy for both of us.”. "But if anything were to occur, we expect to prevail.". // <! Gayle grew up alongside two other siblings, namely: Wayne .J. His wife, Gayle Benson, age 71, was by his side. The case was settled last year under confidential terms. The officials overseeing the trusts disagreed. However, the court found no evidence against the claims. Following the death of her husband, Tom Benson, she became principal owner of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) and the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2018. The divvying up of Benson's wealth became a matter of public interest when the twice-widowed billionaire announced in early 2015 that he intended to leave control of his business empire to Gayle rather than his daughter or grandchildren, as previously planned. They met at St. Louis Cathedral,while Gayle was participating at a mass. [7], She was born Gayle Marie LaJaunie, the daughter of Francis J. LaJaunie (January 5, 1924 – July 18, 2010), and Marie Folse LaJaunie (1924-May 30, 2010). [54][55], In February 2019 the Gayle and Tom Benson Charitable Trust donated $5 million to Jesuit High School. A complex, two-year court battle that erupted in 2015 after they'd fallen out with Benson left them with control of three car dealerships, bank branches and a hunting ranch, all in and around San Antonio, Texas, according to an analysis of various records. Sherwell, Philip (January 30, 2015). But the news was not well received by his daughter and his grandkids. Lajaunie and Marie False Lajaunie: in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Other property they gained control of while Benson, 90, was alive included a private plane, a home on Lake Tahoe and a two-story Old Metairie home assessed at $1.3 million. [44][45][46], While married, Gayle and Tom Benson funded the construction of the Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, which opened on campus on September 1, 2008. He stated that he didn’t want them to inherit shares in the teams. Tom Benson honored at San Antonio service: 'Now he knows the truth, how much we loved him! [CDATA[ Benson was required to replace the shares with assets of equivalent value. He argued that he had done so by cancelling millions of dollars' worth of debt owed by the trusts and turning over $500 million in promissory notes due in about 25 years. April 24, 2018 at 6:31 am, Photo: The last will and testament of Tom Benson excludes his daughter and her children by name from any role in running a reportedly multibillion-dollar business empire that includes the Saints and Pelicans, but it doesn't affect many million dollars' worth of property that they'd received from their family patriarch before he died. Where Is Carlos Carrascosa Now? She graduated from Martin Behrman High School in 1966. // ]]> [17], Tom Benson had planned on bequeathing the voting stock shares of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans to his daughter Renee Benson, grandson Ryan Benson LeBlanc, and granddaughter Rita Benson LeBlanc. Meanwhile, though the will as it stands leaves them with nothing more, it's not like daughter Renee Benson, granddaughter Rita LeBlanc and grandson Ryan LeBlanc were left with nothing. // ]]> Who Is David Mack? [14][15], Benson became the owner of both the Saints and Pelicans following the death of her husband Tom. // <! Aside from the dispute over the non-controlling Saints and Pelicans shares, another related court battle resulted in a settlement requiring Benson to surrender control of the San Antonio car dealerships, bank branches, ranch and other properties to his daughter and her children. Former New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans owner Tom Benson's last will and testament was filed in court Friday evening, one day after…, Officials on Monday released more details on how the public can attend the two-day visitation this week for Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Bens…, Tom Benson, a little-known car dealer who saved the New Orleans Saints from relocation in 1985 then swooped in to purchase the then-New Orlean…. [52][53], In 2015 the Benson family gave $20 million for cancer care and research. But such rules are only … Is He Steve Kornacki’s Husband? [CDATA[ 1. [19][20], Tom Benson's daughter and grandchildren filed lawsuits challenging his decision to name Gayle his heir, questioning his mental competency. // ]]> [34][33] On August 7, 2018, Benson announced, with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, that Dixie Brewery would open a distribution center at the old MacFrugal's Distribution Center in New Orleans East. After returning to the UK, Benson started dating activist Hakim Jamal, an associate of Michael X. Jamal was an American from Boston whose previous name was Alan Donaldson.