Ben Guerrero

1956 - 2025

Ben Guerrero
10/25/25
Arthur Ben Guerrero, 69, of Stamford, Conn., died from complications of cancer on Oct. 25, 2025.
Known as Ben, Benny, or Arthur, he was a son of the late Barbara Haley Smith and Pedro E. Guerrero. He grew up in a family shaped by creativity and imagination, and lived for many years in New Canaan.
Ben had a huge heart and many talents. His children say he was born with a superpower: the ability to make anything. He painted, illustrated, and sculpted with ease. He won several awards, but the acknowledgement he most treasured was a postcard from his idol, controversial cartoonist R. Crumb, who wrote to a young Ben, "I like yr gurls."
His work included lampoons of Americana and popular advertising, paintings based on his father's New York City photographs, and the experience of growing up Mexican American in New England. When his irreverent painting "Miracle of the Latte' was rejected from an exhibition sponsored by the New Canaan Society for the Arts in 1998, it was shown instead at Tequila Mockingbird, a local restaurant.
Ben's creativity had no bounds. He was a writer, local historian, builder, remodeler, five-string banjo player, self-described collector, public speaker, music lover, classic-car enthusiast, harmonizer, and a smart dresser. He was a baker of birthday cakes and bread, and a maker of clothes, dolls, and furniture. For many years, he wrote and illustrated The Home Moaner, a monthly column in The New Canaan Advertiser and other local papers, chronicling, in his wry and clever style, the joys and frustrations of owning a formidable fixer-upper in South Norwalk.
Ben held many jobs. He had been a cabinet maker, ATM repair technician, grill man, videographer, and real estate agent. He worked for NewsBank in New Canaan for 14 years in many roles, finishing as manager of marketing communications. For a time, he and his first wife, Marianne, ran a small Mexican restaurant in town.
After helping his father recover from major surgery, Ben found his true north in nursing: a place where his compassion, creativity, and clarity aligned. He earned an associate's degree in nursing from Norwalk Community College in 2008. A natural leader, he was regarded as the "mayor" of his class, chosen to speak at graduation, and honored as a "Man of Promise and Distinction." He went on to complete his B.S. in Nursing in 2019. His commitment to patient care was matched by his ability to lead and inspire his team as an Assistant Director of Nursing at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan. His colleagues described him as a man whose "kindness, professionalism, and genuine compassion made him a beloved figure among colleagues and patients alike."
Ben gave generously to his community. In New Canaan, he served as president of the board of directors of the Carriage Barn Art Center; was the lone "room dad" among a sea of room mothers at East School; and was an entertaining museum chaperone. He was also a Justice of the Peace, joining dozens of couples in marriage. The final wedding he officiated was that of his son, Alexander West Guerrero, to Virginia Reid Mueller in Mill Valley, Calif., on Aug. 23.
Ben blended hilarity with an inner depth and sweetness. He raised Alexander and his sister, Hannah Maria Guerrero, with the joyful company of Pee-Wee Herman. Christmas meant Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special and It's a Wonderful Life. The final line of the latter "Here's to my brother George, the richest man in Bedford Falls!" never failed to bring him to tears. He and the kids loved singing show tunes as they tooled around in the car. He was a lover of breakfast, especially with Hannah; together they surveyed rye toast and corned beef hash in diners across Fairfield County. Both children inherited his creativity and sense of humor.
One of the most consequential decisions of Ben's life began with skipping a full year of gym at New Canaan High School. Rather than have him make-up P.E., his parents sent him to the more forgiving Putney School in Vermont. There he found deeply held friendships that lasted a lifetime. Later in life, after a brain operation, he developed a surprising devotion to baseball and became a passionate Yankees fan.
Ben's home with Bridget at "Little Dog Farm" in North Stamford, named for their misbehaving miniature dachshunds, Silda and Leopold, became the gathering place for holidays and dinners. Their shared vision for the property, many pieces completed and many still evolving, continues.
Ben is survived by his partner, Bridget Howe; his children, Alexander West Guerrero and Hannah Maria Guerrero; his daughter-in-law, Virginia Reid Mueller; his son-in-law, Justin Joffe; his sisters, Susan Smith Guerrero and Barbara Smith Guerrero II, and their partners, Mark Demmerle and Charles Marchant; his sister-in-law, Carmen Guerrero; and his father's widow, Dixie Guerrero. He is also survived by Marianne Perry, the mother of his children; and Melissa Slattery, his second wife. His older brother, Peter Marc, died in 1998.
The family is grateful to the helpful and kind team at Stamford Hospital, and to Ben's exceptional doctors, Christopher Del Prete and Sherry Ng.
A celebratory art show will be held in the new year. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lauren Fund at the Bennet Cancer Center at Stamford Hospital, Silver Hill Hospital or a charity of your choice.