My friend Ben passed away from renal cell cancer last evening

[Hepburn]

79. Ben was an original.

Yes, Ben was incredible. Few like him...anywhere.

Age 70 years and he was taking knife fighting defense classes with guys half his age and kicking butt. He never took a unearned dime and gave full benefit for a day's work. He was a business manager and tax professional. His memorial service? So many people want to attend that it will be held in one of the aviation company hanger's at the Santa Monica airport. Some of the people who will be there are friends from when he attended L.A. High School in the 1950s, women he has been friends with for over 30 years after originally dating them, clients who have been with his business since the day he started it. I am a short-time friend and we go back over 12 years. His staff at the office? Head of staff has been with him 26 years and another tax preparer has been here 18 years.

His clients are coming here in tears, so are the neighbors, and we are getting calls from as far away as Florida and even some from overseas.

No way we could fit all the people into the house for a memorial service. And...it's a HUGE house! This is a huge loss to anyone and everyone who knew him. It's hard to describe and explain someone like Ben. People think that I am making this up...until they meet him and realize that he really, really is exactly what he seems to be.