Benjamin Roger Prince, age 10 of Hudson, WI, died suddenly and tragically while on vacation with his family on July 3rd, 2022. Benjamin was born on January 13, 2012 in Hudson. He was the son of Timothy and Darcy (Vandermyde) Prince, and leaves behind two brothers, Caleb (13) and Jordan (9). He was a student at Willow River Elementary School and worshipped at Faith Community Church with his family.
Ben was a funny, intelligent, creative boy who loved a good laugh and brought to joy everyone around him. He loved to make funny videos that featured his brothers and used reams of paper over the years to draw funny scenes or make-believe animals. Ben could often be seen with a smirk on his face which meant that he was thinking about something he thought was very funny.
Ben was a sincere person and had a tender conscience. He was willing to be different if he believed it would honor his parents or the Lord. Ben loved movies and video games of all kinds, and especially loved sharing these things with his brothers, Caleb and Jordan. He was learning to play the piano, and loved to read. Ben recently mastered the Rubik’s cube and had set himself a goal of learning to juggle by the end of the summer. Ben loved to swim, and the color red. He was a picky eater and a terribly sore loser.
Ben was a student at Willow River Elementary School where he excelled at being an average student. He was blessed with teachers who cared about him and friends that he looked forward to seeing every day. Ben was looking forward to being a crossing guard in the fall.
Grandpa and Grandma’s farm was Ben’s favorite place in the world. He loved driving the UTV and playing with his cousins. He loved the machinery and the tools and wanted to understand how everything worked. We had promised that he could learn to drive the tractors as soon as his feet reached the pedals.
Most of all he loved and was loved by his brothers. Ben was Jordan’s best friend and Caleb’s most attentive pupil. He wanted to do everything his big brother did and couldn’t wait to grow up. He loved being with friends and visiting other people’s houses.
Ben’s faith in the Lord Jesus was real. From the time he was old enough to speak, his mother taught him this simple catechism: “God is big. God is good. God loves me.” As he grew older, so did the catechism. “Ben, what is our only hope in life and death?” Answer: “That we are not our own, but belong to God.” Ben believed this and was learning to trust Jesus in all of the most mundane and most important things in his life. His life was a gift from God and he will be missed more than words can say. His family is grieving and waiting and hoping in Christ alone.
“I ended my first book with the words no answer. I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice?”
C.S. Lewis “Till We Have Faces”
Ben will remain forever in the hearts of his parents, Tim and Darcy; brothers, Caleb and Jordan; grandparents, Dan and Nancy Vandermyde, and Roger and Sue Prince; great-grandma, Joanne Garrison; aunts and uncles, Brent (JoAnn) Vandermyde, Brooke (Doug) Sterenberg, Darren (Jen) Vandermyde, Dean (Kari) Thompson, Jon (Amanda) Prince, and Dave (Janelle) Prince; cousins, Derek, Jared, Nicole, Thomas, Adam, Hannah, Noah, Joshua, Isaac, Ethan, Benjamin (Katie), Emily (Josh), Aaron (Jayde), Dylan, Ethan, Conner, Melanie, Gabriel, and Zoe; and other family and friends.
A funeral service to celebrate Ben’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 11, 2022 at Faith Community Church, 777 Carmichael Rd, Hudson, WI. Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 10 at the O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 520 S 11th St, Hudson, WI, and one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church. Ben’s funeral will be livestreamed through the Faith Community Church website. Private interment at Willow River Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the family to be used in Ben’s honor.
If you desire to make memorial contributions for Ben, they should be directed to Tim and Darcy Prince. These can be left at either of the visitation sessions or sent to the Princes c/o Faith Community Church, 777 Carmichael Rd, Hudson, WI 54016, or the O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 520 S. 11th St., Hudson, WI 54016. The family will use your gifts to offset costs in this difficult season and to establish a charitable foundation in Ben’s name.