Ben P. Bagby

Ben P. Bagby, of Leland, North Carolina, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. He was 75 years old. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Ben served in the US Air Force from 1966 to 1970 and was a veteran of the Vietnam War. He worked as optician and sales manager in Ohio, New York, and New England for more than 30 years. Upon retirement, he sold real estate and autos in Wilmington, North Carolina.
In retirement, Ben developed his guitar and vocal skills and joined multiple acoustic bands that performed in the Wilmington area, including Too Far Away, Vital Signs, and Generations. He was a golfer, skier, runner, and racquetball player, and a long-suffering fan of the Cleveland Browns.
He also loved arguing about politics with people of all persuasions, leading in-person and online groups discussing current issues.
Ben was also an active volunteer at Magnolia Greens in Leland and in the surrounding community, organizing neighborhood communications and mentoring students at North Brunswick High School. He took the most pride in becoming a tutor with literacy councils in Wilmington and Sarasota, Florida, helping foreign-language students improve their English-language skills.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Joanne, whom he married in 1995; stepchildren Benjamin Freed of Washington, D.C., and Sarah Freed of Leland; sister, Karen Koran, of Cleveland; and his extended family who loved him very much.
A Memorial Service will be held in Spring 2024.
Memorial Contributions can be made to the Cape Fear Literacy Council, 1012 S 17th St., Wilmington, NC, 28401.
Funeral Arrangements are entrusted to Wilmington Funeral & Cremation � Leland Chapel. Please leave condolence messages for Ben's family on his Tribute Wall at www.wilmingtoncares.com