Obituary of Benjamin John Heien

    Benjamin John Heien arrived in this world August 14, 1988. It may have been one of the few times he was actually early! He was welcomed by parents, Marc and Connie, along with grandparents, Johnnie and Ardis Heien and Lloyd and Beulah Ahrenstorff. Ben was Marc and Connie’s only child. They didn’t feel they could improve on this fine little fellow…Ben was perfect.

    Ben always had the best sense of humor and found joy making others laugh. One of his grade school teachers gave him an assignment to tell a joke each day so he could get it out of his system. He had a passion for anything that piqued his interest. When he was young, it was his action figures (his guys), Pokémon, and remote-controlled cars.

    Middle school brought a new love - guitar! A short class, taught by Mrs. Reit, was the spark that ignited Ben’s passion for the guitar. He dove into lessons and played without looking back. After graduating from Spencer High School in 2007, he began classes at Iowa Lakes Community College. It was there he met some new friends and started a Christian Punk band called, OF TRIUMPH. They played in churches, apartments, and gymnasiums whenever and wherever they could. This remained the highlight of Ben’s life; days he would have loved to relive.

    In 2013, Ben took a vacation to Colorado and fell in love. It wasn’t long after returning home that he packed his car, and with no plan in place, moved to the Denver area where he lived the rest of his life. While working at a motel, he had a tragic work accident that resulted in the devastating loss of his right arm. It was undoubtedly a rough road, with multiple surgeries  along with months of physical and occupational therapy. He didn’t let this slow him down. During his recovery he became fascinated with electric skateboards. He had long been a skateboarder and unicycle rider, but added electronics took it to a new level. Eventually he decided electric unicycles were even better. The best part of this new hobby was the strong group of friends he met. Ben was extremely talented. He could make repairs as well as devise special parts to enhance the unicycle experience. Many close friendships were made with others who shared Ben’s passion. Their bond was strong, always having each other’s back.

     Ben passed away unexpectedly at his home on November 28, 2024, at the age of 36 years old. We were blessed to have Ben in our lives. We lost him far too soon. He will be missed and treasured for the rest of our lives.

    Next time you eat a pulled pork sandwich or eat a Scotcheroo, think of Ben and smile.