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Gayle Benson spent more than 9 hours greeting visitors who came to pay their respects to Tom Benson

Gayle Benson spent most of her day greeting visitors at Notre Dame Seminary on Wednesday.

While her husband lay in a casket at the front of the room, a Super Bowl ring on his finger, Benson stood near a door for more than nine hours, welcoming the nearly 1,500 people who showed up to pay their respects to longtime Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson, who passed away last week at the age of 90.

“Absolutely, and the intent is she’ll probably be here the entire day, and tomorrow as well and Friday as well,” Saints and Pelicans president Dennis Lauscha said.