Benjamin "Ben" H. LaFar

HIGHGATE/BRADENTON, FL – Benjamin H. LaFar, age 84, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at his home in Highgate. 

He was born in Swanton on March 21, 1938 to the late Arthur & Melissa (Grasset) LaFar. 

Ben was born and raised in Swanton. But because of the depression, he moved to Connecticut with his family. But as fate had it, he met the love of his life, Patricia (Johnson) in high school, and the two got married on July 9, 1960. Ben dedicated four years to the National Guard while in Connecticut. On their 25th wedding anniversary, they moved their family back to Vermont where they made a home in Highgate and have lived ever since. He had several businesses during his working career, Triple S Auto Business, Triple S Pony Farm and Triple S Construction Company. (Affectionately named after his three daughters, not knowing he and Patricia had a fourth daughter arriving later in life.) Ben loved ice fishing with his grandsons and great grandsons, spending the day pulling in perch from Lake Champlain in the shanty. He also loved spending summer days fishing from one of his many boats. Ben enjoyed raccoon hunting with his cousin in Connecticut with help from the Blue Tick Hounds, and many years of bow and rifle hunting deer. The family has fond memories of weekend 4H camping trips in Connecticut where they enjoyed trail rides with the horses, ghost stories around the campfire and Ben cooked for everyone. He also enjoyed haying, working on the farm equipment and puttering around the yard and in the woods. When Ben’s health failed, he loved staying home and watching You Tube videos, John Wayne westerns, and spoiling Millie, his favorite granddog. Above all hunting and fishing stories, his favorite stories to share were bragging about his family, who he loved unconditionally. 

He is survived by his wife of over 62 years, Patricia LaFar of Highgate; three daughters, Susan Sullivan and her husband James, Sharon Scussel and her husband Mark and Stacy Bennett and her husband Daniel; grandchildren, Benjamin Scussel and his wife Taylor, Ashley LaFar, Amanda Kantor and her husband Sam, Christopher Marinoff, Mark Scussel Jr. and his wife Nicole, Travis Sullivan and his girlfriend Ashley Sanders, Ryan Sullivan and his girlfriend Kaitlin Duprey, Justin Parah and his wife Mariah, Tyler Parah and his girlfriend Brooke Rocheleau, Zachary Parah and his wife Molly, Jenna Bennett and her boyfriend Shane Smith, and Jakob and Kayden Marinoff; great grandchildren, Ava, Aurora, Autumn, Natalie, Benjamin, Elliot, Sophia, Robert, Brantley, MacKenzie, Brayden, Hunter, Aubree, Aidan and Addilyn; sisters-in-law, Madeline LaFar, and Diane LaFar; special friends, Karol Trojanoski, Steve Tremblay, and Dick Sweeney; and several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Besides his parents, Ben was predeceased by his daughter, Shelley LaFar in 2016; and siblings, Richard and Theodore LaFar, Joyce LaRondeau, and Nancy Bohannon.  

Friends and family are invited to Ben’s Life Celebration Memorial Service on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 11:00 AM at the Goss Life Celebration Home, 89 Grand Ave., Swanton, VT 05488. 

For those who wish, contributions in Ben’s memory may be made to the Abenaki Food Shelf- Maquam Bay of Missisquoi, Inc - Food Distribution Center, 100 Grand Ave., Swanton, VT 05488.

Goss Life Celebration Homes is the area’s exclusive provider of Life Celebration events. Please visit our website to share condolences, photos and favorite memories at www.gossfs.com