Benjamin L Warner

SFC Benjamin “Big Ben” Lee Warner, B Company, 3rd Battalion-414th Regiment, US Army

Born July 13, 1979, Ben Warner passed peacefully in his sleep of natural causes on March 31, 2022.

Ben was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin to Ebenezer and Judy Warner. He was the youngest of their three children and their only son. Ben was part of a large extended family and was very close with his aunts, uncles and cousins.

Ben graduated from Arrowhead High School and went to the University of Wisconsin Whitewater where he studied business as well as playing bass trombone in the jazz band. He was active in a local rugby league throughout college.

After graduating from college, Ben joined the Army and became a member of the 101st Airborne. He served two tours in Iraq and discharged from active duty in 2009, going on to join the Army Reserves. Ben was a Senior Instructor for B Company, 3rd Battalion-414th Regiment. Currently a Staff Sargent, Ben was fully qualified and was being promoted to Sargent First Class. Following his death, Ben was promoted to Sargent First Class. Ben was proud to be a member of the Army and counted those he served with as some of his closest friends.

After his discharge from active duty, Ben lived in Tennessee for a time but his heart was out West. From a young age, Ben was enamored with the outdoors, specifically with bird hunting. He moved to Bend Oregon 6 years ago to have access to public lands and greater opportunities for hunting and recreation.

Once in Central Oregon, Ben started work at Stusser Electric where he was well loved by all his colleagues and customers. The sound of his laugh was unmistakable; he was quick with a smile and the first one to offer to help to anyone who needed it.

Ben was passionate about training and hunting over his birddogs, Bernie and Daisy. From September to January, it was a rare weekend that didn’t find him shotgun in hand, running the chukar hills of Eastern Oregon with his dogs. In the off-season, Ben was a fixture at events at Central Oregon Sporting Clays as well as the Central Oregon North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA) tests and training events.

Ben is survived by his parents Ebenezer and Judith Warner, his beloved birddogs Bernie and Daisy, sister and brother in law Cynthia and James Beres; their three sons, Dustin, Luke and Conner, sister Roberta Laehr and her two sons, Trevor and Christopher, his girlfriend Katie Willis, as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Ben is preceded in death by maternal grandparents, Donald and Bernadine Jensen and paternal grandparents, Ebenezer Sr and Nathlyn Warner. As well beloved birddogs, Gunner and Callie.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Ben’s name to Pheasants Forever or Kettle Moraine United Presbyterian Church in Hartland, Wisconsin.

Funeral services in Wisconsin will be held on April 23rd at the Kettle Moraine United Presbyterian Church in Hartland, WI at 1 pm (CST). Family and friends are welcome to visit directly at church from 11:00 am until 12:45 pm. The funeral service will be live streamed, check church website for streaming information.
N66W32690 County Hwy K
Hartland, WI 53029

A Celebration of Ben’s Life will be held in Bend Oregon on April 30th at 3 pm (PST) at the Roundhouse, potluck/BBQ to follow, BYOB.
The Roundhouse
22655 Peacock Lane
Bend, OR 97701

A military service will be held in Vancouver Washington on May 15th at 2 pm (PST) at the Vancouver Armed Forces Reserve Center.
15005 NE 65th St
Vancouver, WA 98682

Burial will be in Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Union Grove, Wisconsin.

Above all things, Ben Warner loved life, his family and friends. He will be deeply and greatly missed by all those who knew the pleasure of his company.