The years between the dash – a life well lived.

Ben was born to be a rebel. He was raised on the family farm in Tidewater, Virginia. In the fall of 1959, he hitchhiked to Richmond and joined the military. He spent his first four years in the Air Force, serving on the flightline fire crew. After his time in the Air Force, he found himself at the locks in Seattle, where he spotted a Coast Guard small boat passing through with fishing poles on deck. Thinking to himself that it might be a good gig, he embarked on a new adventure that began his Coast Guard career. He enjoyed many exciting tours, which ultimately brought him and his family to Homer. In the summer of 1978, he reported aboard the CGC Sedge as Chief Bos’n Mitchell, serving as deck boss. He retired from the Coast Guard in 1980, and the family purchased Lou’s Storage Yard on Kachemak Drive with assistance from the state VA. They renamed it Homer Boat Yard, transforming it into a dry land marina that served the marine community. A Virginia waterman at heart, he cherished many good days spent trolling for King Salmon on the M/V Katidid.

He mercifully departed for better fishing grounds on the first day of the new year, surrounded by family on a day when he surely knew the fish were biting and that he needed to join in on the fun. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Kate; his son Richard and his family; Jennifer Mitchell Hakala and her family; and his brother Jim in Tappahannock, Virginia. A celebration of life will be planned for next summer when the grass is green, the flowers are blooming, and the fish are biting.