Ben Hartman, 35, was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, and moved to the Pittsburgh area during middle school, where he would go on to build his life.
Ben was a proud Army veteran and a union plumber by trade. He was strong-willed, independent, and never let someone else tell him how to live his life. He believed in working hard, being honest, and staying true to who you are. Ben was never someone who put on a show or pretended to be something he wasn’t. What you saw was what you got, and he liked it that way.
Ben loved being outdoors. He enjoyed hiking, hunting, and spending time in nature. He had a passion for firearms and dreamed of one day living a more self-sufficient life, homesteading and building something of his own. He wanted a life where he could be outside, work with his hands, and live a little more simply. He was happiest when he could get away from the noise of the world and just be in nature.
More than anything, Ben loved his wife, Halie. The life they shared was something special, and some of their best moments were the simplest ones. They didn’t need anything fancy to be happy. They had their own little world, their own routines, their own jokes, and a life that belonged to them. He was the person she shared her days with, her plans with, and her dreams with. Their time together meant more than words can ever explain.
One of the biggest dreams they shared was becoming parents. After years of struggling with infertility, they kept hoping and believing that one day they would have a baby of their own. Even through the disappointments, Ben remained positive. He truly believed their time would come. He had a playful side that came out around children, and seeing him with them made it easy to imagine the kind of father he would have been. He would have been the dad taking his kids on outdoor adventures, teaching them about nature, playing with them, making them laugh, and always making sure they knew they were loved. He would have been an incredible father. Becoming a dad was a dream he never gave up on, and although he never got the chance to meet the child they hoped for together, that dream will always be a part of the life and love they shared.
Ben was the kind of person who would do just about anything for someone he cared about. He might not have been the type to make a big speech about how much someone meant to him, but he showed it in his own way. He was loyal to the people he loved and valued genuine connections over appearances. He didn’t need a big circle of people around him. He wanted people who were real, people he could be himself around, and people who felt like family.
To Emma, Ethan, and Janci, he was lovingly known as “Uncle Ben.” He was the fun uncle who got down on the floor and played with the kids, made time for them, and genuinely enjoyed being around them. They weren’t related by blood, but that never mattered to Ben. He considered them his niece and nephews, and they were family to him in every way that counted. The love he had for them was real, and the memories they made together will always be a part of his story.
Ben lived life his own way. He wasn’t interested in impressing people or pretending to be someone he wasn’t. He wanted to work hard, spend time outside, enjoy a cold beer or a good whiskey, be around the people he loved, and make a life that felt like his own. He wasn’t a fancy guy, and he wouldn’t have wanted anything over the top. He was just Ben, and the people who truly knew him loved him for exactly that.
Ben leaves behind his wife, Halie, and the life and dreams they shared, his parents Linda and David, along with the people who will carry his memory with them forever. There is no way to put into words the space his absence leaves behind. He was loved deeply, and he will be missed in more ways than anyone could ever explain.
In keeping with Ben’s wishes, he will be cremated. His life will be celebrated in a way that reflects the man he was: surrounded by the people who knew and loved him, sharing stories, having a beer, raising a glass, and remembering Ben as he really was. No fuss, no pretending, and nothing fancy. Just the people who mattered, remembering a man who lived life on his own terms.
Rest easy, Ben. I hope you knew just how much you were loved. You were one of a kind, and there will never be another you. You will always be loved, always be missed, and never be forgotten.