Those who knew him best say they’ll remember him not just as a businessman, but as a man whose passion for surfing, faith and people left a lasting mark.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For generations of Coastal Bend families, a trip to Benjamin’s Surf Shop was a rite of passage. Whether it was a first surfboard, a new skateboard or simply hearing the store’s memorable television jingle, Benjamin’s became more than a retail shop. It became part of growing up in Corpus Christi.
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Now, after the passing of founder Benjamin Liska at the age of 74 following heart health complications, those who knew him best say they’ll remember him not just as a businessman, but as a man whose passion for surfing, faith and people left a lasting mark on the Coastal Bend.
Liska opened Benjamin’s Surf Shop in 1976 after beginning by shaping surfboards in the garage.
“He had a dream,” his wife, Brenda Marshall Liska, said. “He loved surfing and he started this store in the back of his garage right out of college.”
She said building the business took determination.
“He worked hard, long, long hours,” Brenda said. “And he loved doing all of it.”
That dream grew into one of the Coastal Bend’s most recognizable local businesses. Over the years, Benjamin’s could be found in Sunrise Mall, Padre Staples Mall and in Austin before the Airline and McArdle location became the store generations of Coastal Bend families came to know.
Before Benjamin’s became a Coastal Bend institution, Liska was proud of his roots.
According to his family, Ben was a proud Robstown Cotton Picker and a member of the Robstown High School Class of 1966. He wore No. 34 on the Cotton Pickers football team that finished the regular season undefeated at 10-0 and won a district championship.
Brenda reflected on those early years during her interview.
“We are Robstown Cotton Pickers,” she said. “Yeah, we grew up, we were all old farming families.”
She said the community connections formed there stayed with him throughout his life.
Family members say the business was only one part of who Ben was.
“He is such a joyful soul and loves everybody,” Brenda said. “There’s no one that meets him that doesn’t… he’s they’re gonna be his friend.”
She described her husband as devoted to his faith, a musician, a rancher and lifelong surfer.
“He very, very, very loves Jesus, loves his church, but he loves his community, loves Corpus Christi, loves his surfing,” Brenda said.
Away from the surf shop, Liska raised Texas Longhorn cattle at Tio Benito Ranch.
He was also a gifted musician.
“He also was a musician so he played all string instruments by ear and the piano singing and everything he could possibly sing,” Brenda said. “He’s quite diverse, you know, blessing to all of us.”
His niece, Nell Foret, said Ben’s personality was impossible to miss.
“He was a cowboy and he was a surfer and an avid bluegrass aficionado,” Foret said. “And I think nothing brought him more joy in the world than all of the customers and the employees in the store over the years.”
Foret said community involvement was important to her uncle.
“His community was very important to him,” she said.
She recalled his involvement in church activities, surf teams, skate teams and local youth programs.
“He was really passionate about attending high school football games,” Foret said. “He was very passionate about his church community.”
Walking back into Benjamin’s after his death brought back decades of memories.
“The smells, the sights, the lighting,” Foret said. “It’s just such a joyful place that holds so many joyful memories for many of us around Corpus Christi.”
She added that the store always felt bigger than the family itself.
“It never felt like it really belonged to me,” Foret said. “It felt like it belonged to all the people who shopped and worked here over the years.”
In 2013, Liska sold Benjamin’s Surf Shop to his longtime friend, Gerry Anderson.
“The promise I made to him is I would continue it and be a good steward of his store,” Anderson said. “And continue it into the future and hand it off so it can last another 50 years.”
Anderson said one of his favorite memories came during a trade show in Las Vegas.
“After we’re done with a meal, a guitar came out and I heard Ben Liska perform and sing for my first time,” Anderson said. “It blew me away. He had a wonderful, beautiful voice and was a great instrumentalist on the guitar.”
Standing beside one of Liska’s surfboards, Anderson reflected on where it all began.
“He started this business by shaping surfboards when he was 24,” Anderson said. “This is what his first passion was and his passion the entire time.”
For fellow surf shop owner Frank Floyd, Benjamin Liska was never just a competitor.
“We’ve been friends for a long time ever since then,” Floyd said.
Floyd said Liska helped introduce trends and products to Corpus Christi long before they became mainstream.
“He brought a lot of stuff into town,” Floyd said. “Fashion stuff that had not been here.”
“He was definitely a leader.”
More importantly, Floyd said, Ben treated people well.
“He was always nice to people, pleasant,” Floyd said. “Really cared about what he was doing.”
“And definitely I think made a big impression on this town.”
For Chad Marshall, Ben’s legacy was deeply personal.
“He was the closest thing I had to a father figure probably in my life,” Marshall said.
“He would do anything for you,” he said. “He’d be there whenever you needed him.”
As condolences continue pouring in from across the Coastal Bend, Brenda says the support has meant everything to the family.
“The love that everyone has given us is just wonderful,” she said.
“We just can’t thank everyone enough for loving him.”
The family is planning a Celebration of Life for Benjamin Liska. Members of the local surfing community are also organizing a ‘paddle out’ in his honor. Details for both events will be announced once they are finalized.