Benjamin Kidd Brewer's Obituary
Benjamin Kidd Brewer, 78, of Sandy City, Utah passed away on September 28, 2023 as the result of a sudden diabetic seizure.
MEMORIAL SERVICES:
Evening Viewing:
Thursday, October 12th
6:00-8:00pm
Willowcreek 3rd Ward Chapel
2400 E. Alta Canyon Dr., Sandy, UT
Morning Viewing:
Friday, October 13th
9:30-10:30am
Same Address as Above
Funeral:
Friday, October 13th
11:00am
Same Address as Above
*Also streaming online @ 11am, MST: https://youtube.com/live/ZMiZA045psI?feature=share
Interment immediately following funeral:
Family and Close Friends
Memorial Mountain View Cemetery
3115 E. 7800 S. Sandy, UT
Celebration of Life:
Sunday, October 15th
6:00-9:00pm
Clubhouse on South Temple
850 E. South Temple, SLC, UT
Open mic. Share memories, Stories, Songs, Impersonations, Laughter, and Love for Ben Brewer
*Please bring a dessert item to share. RSVP: https://clubhouseslc.com/ben
Though for years, he had “one foot in the grave,” Ben Brewer plugged along as best he could and reminded us that it was “at least for one more day.” He finally met his last day on this earth on September 28, 2023, and as he has now left mortality, his unique personality and benevolent heart will be deeply missed by those who were fortunate enough (or unfortunate, as he would quip) to have crossed paths with him.
Born September 17, 1945 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Ruth Alice McClenahan and Clyde Rowan Brewer, Ben spent his childhood with his much older Sister, Marion Jo, and brother, Johnny Mac, in a quaint neighborhood not too far from the Appalachian mountains - among thick trees, fireflies, and white wrap-around porches. He always valued relationships and years later as he kept in contact with extended family and grade school friends from the southern states, it was apparent who he was speaking with on the phone because almost immediately, his southern drawl would slip into his pronunciations, emphasizing certain syllables he hadn’t in years, such as, “calling the poh-leese, having “brackfest,” and getting the “ole” changed in his car.
Ben left North Carolina to serve an LDS mission in the Western States, Colorado, and New Mexico mission from 1965-1967, where, of course, he made and maintained life-long friendships with assigned companions and others with whom he associated while there. He then moved to Provo, Utah to attend BYU (graduated in 1970), where he met the lovely blond-haired, blue-eyed Sylvia Call. Their marriage was solemnized on December 27, 1968 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He is survived by his benevolent, patient, and devoted sweetheart. He would add merciful and long-suffering to her list of attributes and he claimed he was lucky that she “put up with him.” About Sylvia, he always said that he, “married above his station.”
Benjamin worked in advertising and, for the larger part of his life, in real estate and property management. He had an entrepreneurial drive and often had harebrained ideas that worried Sylvia, but usually panned out to be great successes. He was self-taught in many skills and put those talents to good use in his own home, businesses, and in service to others. He retired from the corporate world early when he was downsized by Zion’s Bank, an offense that he never pardoned and one that he would bring up for years. However, with his newly-found free time, he was able to expand his landlord-ship and was able to play his bass guitar, visit neighbors for homemade ice cream parties, and attend his kids’ soccer and baseball games more frequently.
Ben fathered and is survived by four children: “the twins” Alisa and Alan (Amberlee), Laura (Tyson), and David. He claims 13 grandchildren and loved all 13, even when he couldn’t remember their names or who belonged to whom. He was a devoted husband and father. Ben sacrificed to provide the temporal necessities of life and he supported his children in their endeavors. He was a loyal fan and proved it by attending countless games, concerts, events, and celebrations. He taught his children how to be frugal yet generous, ambitious and persistent, and how to love without judgment.
Ever the peacemaker, he desired for everyone around him to be comfortable and unburdened. He would do what was within his power to accomplish that noble objective. Once you crossed paths with Ben, you were in his life for good. He cared deeply for people and adopted them as pseudo family along his way. He would often strike up conversations with complete strangers simply to ask them, “What is your story?” And then, with full attention, he’d listen to their answer. He had an extraordinary ability to connect authentically with people from all walks of life. He saw people in their plights and his charitable heart helped many people in need - family and friends, tenants and neighbors, bandmates and schoolmates, in-laws and outlaws. His acts of kindness were numerous. He found various ways to serve, such as volunteering at the bishops’ storehouse where he reliably lent a hand even though he was routinely irritated with “the suits in Salt Lake.” He saved several lives by intuitively showing up for friends in desperate moments of anguish. He made everyone feel welcomed and valued. Ben always rooted for the underdog and loved a good Cinderella story. He genuinely celebrated the successes of those around him. He was especially proud of his kids’ various accomplishments.
One of the greatest loves of Ben’s life was music. He often said that he “marched to the beat of his own drummer.” Music seemed to be his way of making sense of the world and it was his solace. Many of his oft used metaphors had a musical reference. He talked about “harmonizing” with others and “resonating” with his fellow humans. He was drawn to it. At one point during Ben and Sylvia’s wedding reception, he excused himself to use the bathroom and when he didn’t return for awhile, he was discovered playing an old organ he happened upon down the hall. Benjamin’s music had the magical ability to uplift spirits and bring people together. In particular, he played the bass guitar and the piano beautifully. He was never much for sight reading, but could play by ear remarkably, making his renditions more appealing than the original versions in most instances. He played with several bands throughout his life, the most enduring being The Right Combonation, or “The Combo” as he liked to call it. His bandmates were close friends for decades, and he kept in touch with all of them, a theme that you may be noticing.
Ben had a quirky sense of humor, ever appreciating a good pun. He was also uninhibited and willingly made himself into the butt of a worthwhile joke. He could often be seen engaging in antics such as dressing up in random whacky costumes to contribute to ward talent shows, barking at his “brother from another mother” across the street, playing the keyboard and asking for tips outside of the office building where he was unemployed as of the previous day, making use of an abandoned pink and gold butterfly Halloween costume and trick-or-treating in a long curly blonde wig, stealing neighbors cars to “teach them a lesson,” not bothering to dress in more than his undergarments around the house, even when his kids’ friends were over, or attending a formal event where the other attendees were dressed in their Sunday best while he donned his bathrobe and swimsuit, making himself at home in the host’s hot tub and demanding to be served a root-beer float as he soaked. His playful spirit and unrestrained carefree nature brought laughter (and many times embarrassment to his family) to countless gatherings, reminding us to be ourselves and that there is always something to smile about - even if we have to create it. Ben enjoyed the simple things in life: a comfortable bed, a good bargain, his wife’s cooking, Hallmark Christmas movies, cold diet cokes, beaches, fish aquariums, and that “damn dog.” Even though he was allergic - he loved him more than anyone else and would often be caught cuddling with him on the couch.
Despite his curmudgeonly pessimism and anxiety that plagued him (and the rest of us) in his later years; about life, Benjamin humbly and optimistically wrote, “This journey has taken me into the depths of despair and to the mountain tops of elation. My mind has played tricks on me as I have searched. I have read the written word of many men and women professing to know the answers of my quest. There are no conclusions in my search, but I do know that happiness and wealth do not come from tangible articles. Therefore, it must come from spiritual wealth and understanding, and a heavy dose of family and friends. The world is really a beautiful place filled with beautiful people.”
Benjamin truly made the world a more harmonious place and his spirit lives on in the souls of all who knew him. His legacy will continue to inspire us to be better, to love more freely, to be silly more often, to work feverishly to reach our goals, and to play the music of our lives with passion and purpose.
If you wish, memorial donations may be made to the family to ease the burden of the burial and funeral expenses. Please, kindly submit your contribution to https://gofund.me/36db34e2
or directly to Sylvia, his widow.
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