Ben Stowers

Nearly 25 years ago, we were given an incredible gift, our son Ben.  Ben was a smart, curious, and exceptionally thoughtful person who deeply loved his family and friends.  He could light up a room with his smile and quick wit.  He often sent us funny and satirical things he found in the far reaches of the internet, and he made us laugh.  A lot.  He enjoyed sports, playing little league, football, soccer, golf and lacrosse when he was young.  And he had an encyclopedic knowledge of sports stats and history, particularly regarding his beloved Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks - a knowledge he parlayed into winning fantasy teams with hilarious names.
     Ben found his true passion, however, in his middle school band class when a visit from the Tucson Jazz Institute changed everything for him.  After hearing just a few jazz standards, Ben knew he wanted to focus on jazz saxophone, and his music would take him to stages from Jazz at Lincoln Center to Monterey to festivals in France, Switzerland and Italy.  He earned a bachelor's degree in Jazz Music and a Master's in Arts Management and Entrepreneurship from the New School in New York City.  Ben played, wrote and recorded with professional musicians, friends and students, and he appreciated each of them for their unique abilities.  Jazz legend Jimmy Heath wrote that Ben was "part of the continuum of jazz" after they recorded a ballad together, which captures how Ben approached the opportunity to learn from those he met. Despite his own accomplishments, he was much more interested in other people.  He listened more than he spoke.  He studied music, performance and composition to divine and honor the artist's intent.  What he loved most as he played music was exchanging ideas with his fellow musicians, and developing something unique in that moment.
     Ben loved living in and exploring New York City.  He was an avid reader, sought out peaceful places, and often spent time reading and playing music in NYC parks.  One of his friends told us that when they played together in the park Ben would engage anyone who approached, often leading to a long conversation between tunes.  Not a great business model, but highly enjoyable for Ben.  He particularly appreciated meeting people and hearing music from around the world, and after graduating from college he was excited to find a wonderful job at the Covey law firm where he helped dozens of international artists get visas to perform in America.  Their music was much different than his, but Ben celebrated all of it.
     Ben brought so much joy to his parents, Russ and Patty, his incredible sister, Katie, his grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, as well as his dear friend Missy and other special friends we have gotten to know better through this.  It's remarkable the impact he had on others.  Ben tutored younger musicians, and he gave his time to Special Olympics and Chicanos Por La Causa.  We have heard so many stories about Ben, his heart and the kindness he showed to friends and strangers alike, and this has brought us great comfort.  So, too, will the celebration of life event we will have at a later date.  In the meantime, we ask that you consider honoring Ben by being as kind to yourself and others as Ben was to us, listening to his music, or making a contribution to the Tucson Jazz Institute scholarship fund (https://tjmfdn.org/).
     In his words and actions, Ben told us every day how much he loved us, and we made sure he knew how much we cherished him.  When his grandmother Bonnie was nearing the end of her life, Ben played the tune "I'll be Seeing You" for her.  The song's lyrics have special meaning to us.  The world lost a little bit of its sunshine and melody when Ben passed away on June 14, 2022. We will always love you, Ben, and we'll be remembering you in all our old familiar places.  Rest in peace and music, sweet prince.