Benson Cytron, former county counselor for Jefferson County, died Sunday (Nov. 22, 2009) at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield. He was 79 and lived in Hoene Springs.

Mr. Cytron died following injuries he suffered Sept. 26 in a head-on crash of two vehicles near Morse Mill.

He was a passenger in a minivan driven by his partner, Elizabeth Faulkenberry, former presiding commissioner of Jefferson County. She had been on her way to have breakfast with a daughter. Also injured was the driver of the second vehicle, who the Highway Patrol said had fallen asleep while on the two-lane highway.

Mr. Cytron practiced law in House Springs from 1962 until he was injured. He was the county counselor for eight years and later city counselor for Arnold. He represented the Northeast Public Sewer District in Fenton.

He helped clean up the county by suing polluters and obtaining civil injunctions to force them to clean up their property.

He often represented battered women for free. Friends said that for years he was the only lawyer in the county who would accept pro bono cases from Legal Services of Eastern Missouri.

Mr. Cytron graduated from Soldan High School, Washington University School of Business and Washington University School of Law. After high school, he enlisted in the Navy and later was called back during the Korean War.

Visitation for family will be from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, and for the general public from noon to 3 p.m. that day at Chapel Hill Mortuary, 1817 Gravois Road, High Ridge. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m.

Among the survivors are a daughter, Megan Cytron of Madrid, Spain; two sons, Dan Cytron of High Ridge, and Mark Cytron of Cleveland; a sister, Leona Bohm of Creve Coeur; and Elizabeth Faulkenberry's children, three daughters, Amy Crader of Eureka, Carole Broadfoot of Dittmer and Lisa Faulkenberry of Hoene Springs.

Memorial contributions may be made to Comtrea, 227 Main Street, Festus, Mo. 63028 (www.comtrea.org).