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Our decision to have our son Ben be a donor for Life Alaska was a decision made at a very difficult time for our family but one that was made easier by Ben’s desire to always help other people. Many times Ben would recognize other peoples’ needs before addressing his own. Ben was truly a very compassionate, caring person who gained much satisfaction in assisting friends, family and strangers in their every day trials and problems. A perfect example of his helpful nature was when his Dad forgot both the oars and life vests for a yearly raft trip with extended family members and Dad called Ben at work to see if Ben could help in some way. Without question, Ben got in his car, came home to pick up the equipment, and drove the 100 plus mile trip to deliver the gear. That type of trip seemed like a real adventure and a break from the ordinary routine for Ben. Living life in a fast-paced, exciting manner was probably a motto for Ben! Whether he was snowboarding on the slopes of Alyeska Ski Resort or performing jumps on his four-wheeler, he pushed himself to daring extremes, sometimes to his parents’ chagrin! We will forever remember the jubilant expression on his face when he did a flip while snowboarding or successfully performed stunts on his Yamaha all-terrain vehicle. His artistic talent and beautiful singing voice are sorely missed as is his quirky sense of humor. The ability for Ben to capture the detail and funny expressions of people in his art was uncanny! Ben’s art has inspired all of us to pursue our own forms of creative expression in art, sports, and music, and we hope to find some healing with our artistic and athletic endeavors. Although we have a huge void in our family because of his death, our lives have truly been enriched by his presence on earth. We hope that the gift of life will benefit many other caring people for years to come and that this positive outcome will make a lasting memory for all of us. Fondly, |
