Benjamin Vard "Ben" Smith

Benjamin Vard Smith (Ben)

June 6, 1990-December 8, 2018

     The world has lost an incredible young man.  Benjamin passed unexpectedly Saturday, December 8th and leaves behind many devastated friends, family members, and the love of his life, his fiancé Diana Rodriguez.

     Benjamin was born to Randy and Julie Smith in Spokane, Washington.  He was joined by his brother and best friend, Mitchell, a short eighteen months later.  He enjoyed an idyllic childhood running around the woods near Spangle at his first childhood home.  He moved with his family to Mead, Washington in first grade and attended school at Colbert Elementary, Mead Middle School, and  Mt. Spokane High School. 

     During his childhood, Benjamin participated in Cub Scouting with Pack 280 and subsequently attained the rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 80.  Benjamin enjoyed many sports including basketball, football, and wrestling.  He earned a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do from Jung Kim’s Martial Arts.  He swam with Spokane Waves Swim Team. 

     He loved spending time with his family.  In his short life, Benjamin has journeyed to Maui numerous times, visited Disneyland, camped in Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, and hiked in too many locations to list. Benjamin loved boating, fishing, turkey hunting, and any time spent outdoors.  He had the best times with his dad & brother when they went to Northport to ride ATV’s with his childhood friend, Evan, and his father, Jim Domanico, who was fondly referred to as “Papa D”.

     Benjamin graduated from Spokane Community College and then transferred to Eastern Washington University.  He graduated with a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Communication Studies.  During the beginning of Rush Week, he and his brother pledged with Beta Theta Pi and thus became true fraternity brothers.  What a tightly-knit circle of friends and brothers they both gained.  His parents loved each and every one of these amazing Beta’s and his mother was nicknamed “Mama Smith”.  Julie loved baking and taking treats to the Beta House.  Randy and Julie both enjoyed having many “Beta sons” over for swimming and barbecues at their home.  The moment the news spread of Benjamin’s passing, his home began and continues to fill with a circle of friends sharing tears and stories.  Being surrounded by this circle of caring for Benjamin, Diana, and both families lifts us up and fills our hearts.  He will be so missed.

     Benjamin was a true leader. Senior Patrol leader for scouts and president of Beta Theta Pi.  He had a strong work ethic.  At the age of 16, his first job was with Yoke’s Fresh Market as a Courtesy Clerk.  He especially enjoyed working at his dad’s company, Northwestern Construction of Washington, with his brother.  He learned skills for life from his mentors and supervisors with Northwestern.  He loved playing pranks and his contagious laugh could be heard from near and far. 

     Shortly after graduating from EWU, Benjamin was hired as a salesperson for La Z Boy of Spokane.  For the past three consecutive years, Benjamin has attained the title of Top Sales for the store.  He loved meeting new people and never knew a stranger.

     Benjamin loved animals!  He had two cats: Kahuna and Mike Jones.  He was inseparable from his German Shepherd, Cadmus.  They will miss him.

     Benjamin was a loving and devoted son.  He was a mama's boy in the best sense of the word.  Rarely did a day pass without a phone call or a text to his mom.  Most of the time, it was a text or call on his way to or from work.  Short calls, as his mom would tell him to get off the phone while driving.  His dad was a mentor, teacher, sounding board, and project supervisor.  As a relatively new homeowner, Benjamin made numerous calls or Dad came over to show him how to perform routine home maintenance, blow out sprinklers, work on the hot tub, repair things, or find someone who could when it was beyond the scope of knowledge.  How we will miss those calls and time spent together. 

     Nobody could ask for a better brother!  Benjamin and Mitchell were just eighteen months apart.  There was never any sibling rivalry between these two.  There were times we would do our final bed/crib check when they were little, only to find Benjamin missing from his bed.  He would be pressed up against his brother, face to face, sound asleep in Mitchell's crib.  They were one year apart in school.  At the beginning of the school year, Mitchell was often asked if he was related to Benjamin....hard to know whether to admit to it or not.  Benjamin, being the prankster that he was, often tortured his brother with great glee.  Yet, they always made up and were the best of friends.  Mitchell was looking forward to his upcoming role as best man and having all the groomsmen join him to play in Tempe and downtown Phoenix, as he recently relocated and started a new job with Arizona Federal Credit Union.  He was especially excited to have Diana and Benjamin make the move south in the next year or so following the wedding.  Mitchell is heartbroken and will miss his brother immensely. 

     Benjamin was blessed with the love of his life, Diana Rodriguez.  They were set-up on a blind date by his co-worker and by the end of the evening they had conversed on the phone until 3 a.m.  Inseparable after that!  He proposed to her March 9th of this year on a beautiful beach on Maui, she said yes!  They planned to join lives for eternity June 15th, 2019.  Diana has a large extended family who have embraced him as a son and brother.  Diana is loved as a daughter by Randy and Julie and as a sister by Mitchell.

     Benjamin is survived by his loving parents, Randy and Julie Smith of Maricopa, Arizona, his best friend and brother, Mitchell, of Phoenix, Arizona, his bride-to-be, Diana Rodriguez, his best friend, Cody Ackerson, and too many friends and fraternity brothers to list.  He will be deeply missed by his paternal grandmother, Norma Smith (Spokane), his aunt and uncle Scott and Teresa Adams (Carnation, WA), and his cousins Chris Adams (Dallas) and Missy Adams (Portland), maternal grandparents, Bob and Sally Riddle (Camarillo, CA), aunt and uncle Bryan and Mary Scurry & cousin Blake (San Diego, CA), Robert and Sherri Riddle & cousin Bryce (Marian, TX).

     Benjamin will forever be held in our hearts with love and joyful memories.  His generosity, fierce loyalty to friends and family, contagious laugh, work ethic & love of life will be his legacy.

He has left us too soon.

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