Benjamin Michael Harlow

It is with great sadness that his family shares the sudden passing of Benjamin Michael Harlow. Ben died in a tragic automobile accident on January 8, 2026. He was only 23 years old. Ben’s life began on May 18th, 2002, in Stavropol Krai, a village 20 miles south of the Russian city of Stavropol. He was born as Nikita Sergeevich Greber and raised under often difficult circumstances with his Russian family, until the age five when he was placed in an orphanage. Ben’s recollections of his younger years were colorful and often infused with humor.

He became a part of the Harlow family in October 2008. He primarily grew up in Ashburn, Virginia, with his adoptive parents (Philip and Bernadette) and two older brothers (Noah and Sam). He was known to be very sociable, a loyal friend, a hard-working student and willing to try his hand at most sports. Ben’s great, abiding passion was for cars. He favored fast and expensive, as well as the old classics and muscle cars. He longed to own and race a Ferrari. He enjoyed watching Formula 1 with his father, always rooting for Scuderia Ferrari. He spent altogether too much time researching car facts and was overly fond of sharing his extensive automotive knowledge with anyone who would listen.

Ben had a spirited sense of humor and loved comedy of all kinds. He had a flair for accents, with his Russian accent, naturally, being spot on. His laugh was warm, deep and booming. That boy could really project. He did not have an indoor voice.

Ben appreciated the finer things in life, such as quality clothing, jewelry, and travel. He had an impressive collection of shoes. He was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel quite a bit with his immediate and large extended family. He loved hanging out with his cousins. A favorite vacation memory was driving way too fast in a snowmobile across a frozen lake in Canada. He was always suggesting distant and exotic destinations. He very much wanted to travel to Australia; he loved their accents. Second only to cars, Ben loved animals and did not tolerate any mistreatment of them. He adopted a vegetarian diet after learning of the inherent cruelty of factory farming. He always took the time to lovingly greet household pets. He especially loved fluffy, cuddly dogs and looked forward to having one of his own.

Ben was incredibly hardworking and deeply ambitious. He had been working and saving money since the age of sixteen. After obtaining his diploma from the Loudoun Academy of Science, with a concentration in Automotive Technology (2021), he relocated to the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. He worked in the shipbuilding industry before obtaining his heavy machine operator certification and taking employment as part of a grounds crew team. He was a fierce advocate of the working man and felt most comfortable in their company. He had quite a lot to say about the greed of corporate America, generally using very colorful and unambiguous language.

Ben is preceded in death by his grandparents, Bill and Winifred MacRae of San Antonio, TX, and his grandmother, Audrey Harlow of Misterton, England. He is survived by his parents, Bernadette and Philip Harlow, and his brothers Noah and Samuel Harlow. He is beloved by his extended family: Jane (Brian), Colette (Joe), Julie, Claire (Kevin), Catherine (Bill), and a plethora of cousins throughout the world (Virginia, Texas, California, Oregon, Missouri, South Africa, and the United Kingdom). It is a profound tragedy that Ben’s life ended before he had a chance to realize his dreams. His family is shocked and devastated by his loss. We pray he has found eternal peace in the afterlife. He was truly loved and will be mourned on this Earth.

Family and friends are invited to attend a funeral mass in Ben’s honor at The Cathedral of Saint Thomas Moore (3901 Cathedral Ln, Arlington, VA 22203), on March 19th, 2026, at 1030 in the morning. Following the mass, burial will take place at Columbia Gardens Cemetery (3411 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201).

A celebration of life will take place after the burial. Details are being finalized. The family requests you RSVP your intention to attend the reception by responding to [email protected]