Benjamin (Ben) Moffat

Ben had a happy childhood growing up in Beaverton, Oregon with his three siblings, Alex, Catherine, and Christina and his parents Cindy and Kent.  He enjoyed a range of sports, with baseball his favorite of team sports. Later, he focused his athletic talents on skateboarding, a real source of pride.

He graduated from an early college program that combined two years of college with high school graduation, setting an example that his sisters soon followed. He later attended Oregon State and Portland State Universities, signing up again for classes just last year as he sought to extend his career in social work.

Ben loved to help people.  His motto on social media was "Trying to do good."  He lit up when he spoke about helping people overcome their troubles in his work with Transition Projects in downtown Portland. He also enjoyed working with others from different backgrounds across a range of jobs.  Besides the social work that he particularly loved, he painted houses, was a strong salesman, and worked in medical administration, among other roles.

He was a big music fan, especially hip hop, and he was a talented amateur freestyler himself.  More recently, he also enjoyed jazz fusion. He was also a student of history, frequently starting conversations about historical questions.  He also loved animals and nature and had pet cats most of his life.

Ben was a vibrant and loyal man who deeply loved and cared about his family, friends, community, and the world as a whole. Sadly, he faced tough challenges, struggling with mental health much of his life.  While this wore down some of his vibrancy, he never gave up and the last trip he took was in pursuit of a better life.

Farewell, sweet boy.  We all love and miss you dearly.