Benjamin Bijan Bennasar Houshmand

Benjamin Bijan Bennasar Houshmand died in his home in Selma, Oregon on the morning of Thursday, March 12, 2020. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Ben will always be remembered for his courage, compassion and generosity during difficult times. He is at peace now. Born in Palma de Mallorca, Spain on May 24, 1995, Ben was 24 years old and spent his childhood in Santa Fe, NM, Pittsburg, PA, Cave Creek, AZ and Andes, NY, graduating from Andes Central High School in 2013, where, as part of a class of 9 seniors, he pursued philosophical scholarship within his interests in music, travel and ecology. He went on to become an experienced miner, mechanic, and musician, as well as working in the hemp industry. Ben was a remarkable young man loved by so many, who readily engaged new friends, sharing with a generosity of spirit, a remarkable depth of soulful feeling and understanding, and a robust enjoyment of all that life offered through music, art, literature and nature. Ben was unmarried and cared for his two dogs, Hugsley and Pistol. He is survived by his mother Roshan Houshmand of Andes New York, Dan Flora of Andes, NY, his father Pedro Bennasar of Palma, Mallorca, Spain, his grandparents Mark and Naheed Houshmand of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, uncles John Houshmand of Hobart, NY, Arian Houshmand of Buenos Aires, Argentina, aunts Zara Houshmand of Nevada City, CA, Erica Stillwell of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Azadeh Houshmand-Oregaard of Copenhagen, Denmark and Roxane Houshmand van Leen, of Breda, Netherlands, along with a loving cadre of cousins and members of the Flora family. To consider Ben’s life is also to become aware of the vast “tribe” of friends he had across the country, people of all ages who knew him for the sometimes quiet, sometimes boisterous, always big-hearted larger-than-life person he was. Ben was predeceased by his grandparents Betty and Arthur Radice of Ocala, FL. Ben will be cremated at Hull and Hull Funeral Home at 612 NW A Street, Grants Pass Oregon. Numerous spontaneously-formed memorial gatherings and celebrations of Ben’s life had been scheduled, but due to the Corona Virus pandemic they will be rescheduled at a future time. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be offered in his name to the ASPCA https://www.aspca.org/ or the Khyentse Foundation https://khyentsefoundation.org/ Thank you to all for the massive outpouring of love and expressions of comfort.