Ben was born in Wakaw on May 12, 1930 to Maksym and Paranka Zarysky. His early years were spent on the family homestead in Sokol. In 1947, Ben headed to Toronto and found employment in an autobody shop. Shortly thereafter he met Laila Kivinen and they were married in 1951. Ben and Laila lived in Toronto until 1961 when they moved back to Wakaw and took over the family homestead. Together they raised their family of 7 children. Ben was well-known for his work as an electrician and spent many years working in the north as an electrical supervisor with DNS. Later, an opportunity to work at the Wakaw Hospital came up and this was where Ben worked until his retirement. Ben and Laila enjoyed their retirement years together. They loved spending time with their children and grandchildren and entertaining their many friends. Their hospitality was well-known to all. Sadly, Laila passed away in 2011.
Ben was a kind and generous person. He was always willing to help others and enjoyed tackling a project. Ben took delight in farm life and all that came with it; his workbench was never empty. He especially enjoyed harvest time and wrapping up the season with a good meal. He was a very social person with a good sense of humor and was fond of spending time with his many friends. Throughout his life, Ben was also a very spiritual man. His strong faith in his Creator, Jehovah God, moved him to dedication and baptism at an early age. Ben continued to be an active member of the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses right up until his passing. He looked forward to the fulfillment of God’s promise of a time when all suffering and death will be brought to an end (Rev.21:4) and shared this promise with many throughout his lifetime.
Ben will be lovingly missed and remembered by: His children: Janet (Ken) Klippenstein, Debbie (Ken) Bilous, Linda, Norman, Dennis (Karen) and Michael (Trudy); His grandchildren: Bryce and Jordan Klippenstein; Michelle (Elliot) Hamilton and Farren (Anthony) Pollard; Avery, Spencer and Connor Zarysky; is sister Anna Herchak and sister-in-law Leila Pelkonen and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife Laila, his daughter Beverly, his parents Maksym and Paranka, his sisters Olga, Sylvia, Octavia and Minodora and his brothers Alex and Arseny and one grandchild.

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