Benjamin Michael Pollack

Our family met Ben through our son Jack. I can remember our first meeting so vividly. He was sitting in the music school and was so relaxed and kind that it was impossible not to love him immediately. We were so happy that he and Jack became very good friends. He became our third son when he lived in Bloomington. We enjoyed golfing with him, and attending his concerts. The last concert we went to, he had a solo. I had no idea how beautifully he could play! When I broke the news of his passing to our younger son, his first response was "our Ben?". We truly feel we have lost a member of our family. We are all very grateful that we got to meet him and have him be a big part of our lives. Amy, Jim and Evan Hoeksema

My name is Nate Tauer and I had the privilege of living with Ben in Walsenburg, Colorado. In a town without many people in their 20´s I was ecstatic to have Ben become my roommate for the 17/18 school year. He would share recipes and workouts with me as we watched the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and Game of Thrones... simultaneously. Ben set up his tv and laptop and phone to play all of these things and he would be playing a game of Catan online on the side also. Having a friend to decompress from a stressful day was essential in our line of work. We could relax and joke and wonder if we had any chance of ever meeting a woman in Walsenburg, CO. My dog Betty also loved seeing him everyday and would bey when he came in the door. Our favorite times would be when Jan would drop off food for us out of the blue. That was a pretty big deal for two single guys in their 20´s in a filthy house. Lastly, of all the memories I still can´t believe he was able to fit into the bathroom of that tiny house on East Sixth Street where even I had to sit sideways just to use the toilet. Miss you Ben.

Ben was our daughter's first friend at Adat Shalom Preschool. Lyndsay and Ben shared many fun playdates together.