It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of our husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. Ben suffered a stroke the previous week, and while we were hopeful he was going to recover, apparently it wasn’t meant to be.

Ben was predeceased by his parents, Isaak and Elizabeth; his siblings, Jake, Margaret, Katy, John, Ann, Elsie, Agatha, Bill and Ella; a son, Kendall; as well as daughter-in-law Barbara Lybeck. He is survived by his loving wife, Wilma (Billie); his children Kari, Darren and Shawne and his beloved grandchildren Sara, Emily and Alicea; as well as two special step-grandchildren Janessa and Justin. He is also survived by his sisters Hilda and Mary.

He was born in the Dirty Thirties on a farm in Kelstern, Saskatchewan, where he learned the value of hard work. He moved to North Battleford in 1957, where he trained at the Saskatchewan Hospital as a psychiatric nurse and worked on the wards there for many years before being promoted to Community Psychiatric Nurse. His soon-to-be wife Billie was also employed at the hospital as a psychiatric nurse. When the provincial government of the time shut down the Outpatient Department, he retired—for about two weeks—before going back on casual. Three years later, he took on a second career as the Coordinator for the Mentally Handicapped in the Battlefords.

He was never good at sitting still for any length of time, which gave birth to a lot of community work and hobbies. He was very involved in his local church for a while and then added on many other interests. He volunteered behind the camera for Battlefords Cablevision, tried his hand at acting with the Battlefords Community Players and served on the board of the Battlefords Wildlife Federation. His time with the Wildlife Federation put him in a pivotal role in the creation of the Battlefords Wildlife Federation Nature Centre.

Ben was a taxidermist of some local renown and never had to advertise his services. There was never a shortage of skulls boiling on the stove, fish scales forgotten on the back of the kitchen tap or animal heads staring back from the bowels of the basement freezer—often to his family’s chagrin. Billie will always recall the night he attempted to skin out a skunk, in the house, in the middle of a 40-below Saskatchewan winter. And so will most of the old neighbours.

An avid hunter and fisherman, he owned a cabin at Pelican Point, on Murray Lake, and was part-owner of a hunting cabin he built with friends at Smoothstone Lake.

He was something of a bigger-than-life superhero to many nieces, his children and grandchildren who will always have a special place in their hearts for him.

Ben’s family and friends will be hosting a memorial for him at the Battlefords Wildlife Federation on August 2nd at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Battlefords Wildlife Federation.

Condolences for the family can be left at www.eternalmemoriesfuneral.ca Arrangements have been entrusted to Trevor Watts of Eternal Memories Funeral Service & Crematorium

• Date : 2021-07-21
• Location : North Battleford, SK