Benjamin Wayne "Ben" Denham

A loving Husband, Father, Brother, Uncle, Son and 20-year Veteran Phoenix Officer Ben Denham passed away on Wednesday, Feb 8, 2023 at 7:06 pm due to complications from a rare combination of autoimmune diseases at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. Ben was surrounded by his loving family including his spouse, 4 surviving children, parents and siblings. Ben is the father of 7 wonderful and talented children 5 sons and 2 daughters. He is survived by his wonderful wife of 27 years Debbie and 4 children Mareena, Elijah, Maleeyah and Ronan. He was preceded in death by 3 sons; Benjamin Jr as well as twins Zachary & Matthew.
In addition to being a dedicated Father and Husband, Ben was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was a spiritual man who believes families can be together for time and eternity. Ben was an Eagle Scout and enjoyed the outdoors and various adventurous activities. He was a gifted athlete and had a love for sports especially basketball which he has shared with his children. Ben was an organized and driven man with a knack for fixing, repairing, and working on projects with his hands. He was regarded as an intelligent and a hard-working man by those that had the opportunity to work alongside of him. One of his most endearing attributes was his sense of humor, he was known as a comedian and prankster by his family, friends and coworkers.
Early on, Ben had a promising professional sales career but after 9/11 he expressed his desire to pursue a career in Law Enforcement with the Phoenix Police Department following in the footsteps of his older brother Bill Jr. On July 22, 2002 Officer Ben Denham #7757 joined the Phoenix Police Department and dedicated 20 years of his life to serving the community. During his career, Ben worked patrol and Neighborhood Enforcement Team (NET) in the Maryvale and Cactus Park Precincts. The latter part of his career, Ben worked as an Explosive Detection Canine Handler for the Airport Bureau for almost four years. Ben received numerous commendations for his outstanding police work and commitment to the community.
Approximately 11 years ago Ben was diagnosed with Raynaud's Syndrome then "Systemic Sclerosis" which is a rare form of Scleroderma. During Ben's battle with Scleroderma, he was also diagnosed with Polymyositis. In 2016 he experienced a significant flare-up of his diseases that caused him to be hospitalized and nearly took his life. Fortunately, by the grace of God; Ben was able to recover enough to return to be with his family and continue his commitment to public service as a Phoenix Police Officer.
As time went on, Ben knew his autoimmune diseases would continue to ravage his physical body, however, he always maintained his faith in God and hoped that he would be able to continue to be a loving provider for his family and community. One of his main goals was to achieve 20 years of service with the Phoenix Police Department. Ben knew his progression was inevitable and a race against time ensued; however, he continued his duties by faithfully serving the public and department's needs while fighting the rapid changes from his disease. He served side by side with other officers while struggling to overcome the debilitating changes in his body. Ben rarely called out and never complained about his illness. In fact, most of his coworkers never knew he was fighting for his life for the last 6 years.
Although there is no cure for his autoimmune diseases, Ben faithfully continued to receive monthly lifesaving treatments to help slow the progression them. In the last year of his life, Ben's body stopped responding to the monthly treatments. Even with the serious progression of his illness, Ben would find the strength to put on his gear and don the uniform. Towards the end of his career, Ben with the help of his wife would dress his wounds and help get him dressed each day to continue serving and protecting the community. By the grace of God Ben was able to complete his goal of achieving 20 years of public service in November of 2022.
On January 4th, 2023 Ben was admitted to Banner hospital and then transferred to St. Joseph's where he continued to have hope that he could yet again fight for another chance to support his family and the community. Sadly, the treatment options were limited due to the severity of his illness and after 1 month and 4 days under the care of medical providers, Ben passed away and returned home to be with his 3 sons who preceded him. Throughout his recent stay in the hospital, he never lost hope and he never gave up.
Services will be held on Friday February 24, 2023
Celebration of Life & Public Memorial Service - 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Scottsdale Bible Church - 7601 East Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
Graveside Service - 2:00 pm
Hansen Desert Hills Mortuaries & Cemetery - 6500 E Bell Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85254