Obituary: Binegar; Compton

John Martin Binegar: 1965 – 2025

John M. Binegar, age 59, Rapid City, South Dakota, was carried up to heaven on March 8, 2025. His pain is gone, and his new body has been formed.

John Martin Binegar was born to John I. Binegar and Beverly J. (Turnbull) Binegar on December 26, 1965, in Bay St. Louis, Missouri. He completed his education in Rapid City via West Jr. High and graduated from Stevens High School in 1983. He went on to Black Hills State College, where he found his love for learning and made friendships with the brotherhood of his fraternity, Sigma Tau Gamma. He completed his bachelor’s degree in business in May of 1988.

Those who knew John could attest to his intellectual nature. This served him well in his long career of 24 years in the ophthalmic industry. He started as a product manager at Magnum Diamond and was the marketing manager for refractive surgery at Chiron Vision. Refractec was his next step as the director of clinical applications and then Bausch & Lomb’s sales and marketing support manager. He worked with many start-up companies, hoping to get FDA approval for their products. He had good relationships and was respected by his co-workers, the doctors he trained to use the products, and the industry leaders. John also started his production company, Binegar Productions, providing doctors in the industry training and promotion videos and covering conference materials for future training.

John married Shannon L. Bergeson on May 23, 1992. This union lasted 26 years and created a beautiful daughter, Reyna. John would bring out pictures, show videos, and tell stories whenever he had the opportunity to talk about her. John showed his deep love by what he understood love to be, by doing. He provided a foundation of Christian education in the early years, and by going to church and speaking scripture, he pointed her to Christ in this messy, hypocritical world. He challenged her to learn as he saw the intellect she carried by encouraging her to be focused and push herself. He sought to teach her new experiences like rock climbing to find her strength in complex situations and to problem solve which move to make. He advised her on future career choices, respecting that they were hers. He was goofy and humorous when connecting with her.

What John hasn’t done throughout his life is the question? It would be easier to list those out than what he did. John had a love of adventure and a desire to learn and perfect what he knew. Photography was a love that followed him throughout his life, which led to a well-documented one. Playing soccer in college, mountain biking, rock climbing, slalom skiing on lakes, snowboarding, skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing in multiple mountain ranges worldwide. He snorkeled and was a certified scuba diver, which took him into the underwater world of the seas and oceans. The air also had to be experienced by either jumping off high cliffs into waters or hang gliding and learning to fly planes. John easily traveled to over 30 countries and six continents by work or pleasure. Leaving Antarctica to be explored while in heaven. Then we come to his two great loves, motorcycle touring and mountaineering.

Thousands of miles were logged on back roads and major highways, whether leisurely or a timed challenge, paved or not, hot or cold weather, in English-speaking countries and not. It was a sense of freedom for him to have the wind in his face and the unknown corner ahead, a new challenge to conquer. His love of the outdoors has been evident since his introduction. He summited numerous mountain tops. To name a few, Devils Tower, Mt. Shasta, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, The Grand Teton of the Americas, and Mt. Meru in Africa. He would train, hike, and push his body to accomplish the challenging climbs. The majority of the above written was experienced by Shannon, John’s close circle of friends and family that he brought along.

John is survived by his daughter, Reyna Binegar, Spearfish, South Dakota; sisters, Lisa (Chad) Harley, Hermosa, South Dakota, and Susan (Steve) Tuck, Idaho Fall, Idaho; brother, Tom (Tina) Binegar, Holladay, Utah; and stepmother, Polly Binegar, Rapid City, South Dakota. John was an uncle to five nieces and six nephews.

John was preceded in death by his mother, Beverly Binegar; father, John I. Binegar; sister, Bonnie Jo Binegar; maternal grandmother, Dorothy Janssen; maternal grandfather, Wayne Turnbull; paternal grandmother, Irene Ibsen, and paternal grandfather, Claude Binegar.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at Osheim-Schmidt Funeral Home in Rapid City on Friday, March 21, from 6 to 7 p.m. Remembrances of your time with John are welcome during the service.

A memorial has been set up for his daughter, Reyna. Gifts can be sent to:
Northern Hill Federal Credit Union
2430 Platinum Dr. Suite 3
Spearfish, SD 57783

Gary Wayne Compton: 1939 – 2025

Gary Wayne Compton 85, of Casper, Wyoming, passed March 13, 2025. He was born April 6, 1939 in Iola, Kansas. Gary was the second child of Asbury Wayne Compton and Velma Loraine Trout. Gary grew up in Iola Kansas and Casper.

Gary served in the United States Air Force in Korea. While stationed at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Gary met the love of his life, Marie Louise Boucher who worked in the Cafeteria. They married October 10, 1960 in Denton, Maryland. They moved to Casper in 1961.

Gary owned and operated a Shamrock Service station for many years in Casper. Gary loved to fly and held a private pilot’s license. Gary worked most of his life as an automotive mechanic. Gary loved to tinker with old computers and could fix almost anything. Gary loved dogs and treated them like any other member of the family. Gary was a true friend to so many and was always available to lend a hand.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Marie Compton. Gary is survived by his daughter, Diana (Brent) Coon of Idaho Falls, Idaho; and son, Brian (Ronda) Compton of Casper; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; brother, Kenneth (Marie) Compton of Preston, Idaho; sister, Patricia Ballantyne of Bountiful, Utah and numerous beloved nieces and nephews.