Barry Allen Benepe, Farmers Market Creator, Dies at 96

By Jen Benepe

Barry Allen Benepe died peacefully at his home in Saugerties, NY, on April 23, 2025—just 29 days shy of his 97th birthday. Many members of his family had come to see him for his last hours on an earth that he loved so much for its bounty of beautiful fruits and vegetables, architecture, cycling and art.

Barry loved Saugerties where he and his wife Judith have spent their summers for 41 years. Though he was bed-bound, Barry was to see the explosive blooms of spring, the daffodils, narcissus, crocuses, forsythia, magnolia, pear, and apple blossoms that surround their property on Van Vlierden Road. Through the open windows he listened to the endless repeats of the resident Red Cardinal and Carolina Wren. Barry also enjoyed the help of many people from the community, numerous visits from family and friends who came to shower their love for him, and the help of Zzoe Rowan who has been a rock for the family for years.

Barry was trained as an architect and graduated from Williams College, the Cooper Union and MIT but he will be remembered for pioneering in his quietly passionate way, the creation of Greenmarket farmers markets in New York City. As a young man, he spent his summers at his family’s 200-acre farm Melody Manor, in Princess Anne, MD., where they raised animals, and grew produce. He chose not to join Leacock and Co., the family linen import business, to be a planner and architect, for which his father Robert Benepe never quite forgave him.

Living in New York City he soon yearned for the simple pleasures of farm life, and managed to bring the country to the city in the co-creation of Greenmarket with Bob Lewis. The idea was simple: bring local produce to the nearest city so you could savor the taste of freshly picked apples, pears, raspberries, asparagus, tomatoes and so much more –from local farmers. He also wanted to help preserve small farmers and their land, as they were rapidly being bankrupted by large agrobusiness, while land developers were scooping up farm properties.

The first Greenmarket on East 59th Street was well attended by the public in 1976, and Barry’s five young children Adrian, Jennifer, Andrew, Callum and Simon helped in the new market. But local supermarkets saw the fresh produce brought in directly by the farmer as a threat, and stacked the local community board with anti-market members who dismantled the 59th St. market.

With grants from the J.M. Kaplan Fund and help from Marian Sulzberger Heiskell, a founder of Council on the Environment of NYC (now GrowNYC), Barry and Bob opened a market at Union Square, at the time a dying public space, with surrounding retailers going bankrupt, and drug dealers occupying the park 24/7. He had great supporters, including Lys McLaughlin of GrowNYC and many others who saw his vision. Over the years, the Union Square Greenmarket became the largest, most successful market of 45 plus in New York City. It also was the focal point for the amazing retail revival of the surrounding area.

The market management was non-profit, which meant that the profits went to the farmers, not to Greenmarket, and Barry existed on a modest salary. This fit his Luddite notion of plain and simple living, while giving back to the world important things –such as the exquisite taste of a fresh tomato that has been allowed to ripen on the vine instead of being packaged un-ripened into a refrigerated train car to travel for more than 24 hours from places like Florida, California and Mexico. It also put a strain on supporting his children which he had through two marriages, the first to Jagna Wojcicka, an urban anthropologist and the second to Morag Clyne, an artist. Everyone adjusted to the life of romantic idealism, and his children all went on to do their own extraordinary work, while embracing his love for movement, art, and public service.

Barry was also an untiring advocate for human-pedaled bicycles, and managed with the help of many friends and advocates, to lay down their bikes in front of traffic and force the city to close the roads to cars in Central Park on Sundays. But biking to work one day he had his own brush with death when he was struck by a truck running a red light. He never biked to work again. On June 26, 2018, however, he was surrounded by cheering advocates among them Gale Brewer, a friend and then Manhattan Borough President, when Central Park was finally closed once and for all, to cars, on all days.

Barry had a third unspoken “marriage of a kind” with the sculptor and artist Mary Frank, who now lives with her husband Leo Treitler in New York City and Woodstock.

Then in 1984 Barry met Judith Spektor, a passionate NYC public servant who headed the agency serving the homeless in the Koch Administration. In 1988 Judith handed the footloose and fancy-free Barry an ultimatum and they were married at the National Arts Club in Manhattan. Since then, they have spent a wonderful 41 years together, co-opening with others the Saugerties Farmers Market, growing their magnificent garden, and adding artistic touches to their 100-year-old plus farmhouse (though in Luddite fashion still existing with only one bathroom). They also traveled frequently to Paris, where they would listen to music floating up from the street, shop at the local farmers markets, eat stinky French cheese, hobnob with local friends and family, and truly enjoy the pace and beauty of France.

During the summers, Barry and Judith co-created with Rickie and Jimmy Tamayo, and Nancy Campbell, the first Saugerties Farmers market which has been held every summer Saturday.

Barry is survived by Judith, all of his aforementioned mischievous children, grandchildren Alex, Erik, Ian, Miles, and Tyler, great grandchild, James, and former wife Morag Benepe. Memorials will be held in Saugerties, NY and New York City.

Greenmarket and Saugerties Farmers Market will continue to thrive under their current leadership. In lieu of flowers please send your tax-deductible contributions to either Greenmarket or the Saugerties Farmers Market, PO Box 164, Saugerties, NY 12477.

---

You can also read the obituary about Barry in the New York Times.