Benjamin Merrill Prezelski

He was born at Albert Einstein Medical Center in the Bronx on May 14, 1977, and lived his life in Croton-on-Hudson, his first 30 years at 340 Grand St, a renovated hunting/fishing lodge on an island in the Croton River, now owned by the Village of Croton-on-Hudson Water Department. He recently moved to 28 Scenic Drive, where was living when he died.

He attended International Pre-School and Croton-Harmon Schools, and graduated from Croton- Harmon High School in 1995. After two years at Westchester Community College, he majored in cartooning and illustration and graduated with distinction from School of Visual Arts in Manhattan in 2001.

Ben was very close to the friends he grew up with and, in 2004, he and Dylan Hall, founded the successful Harrison-based computer repair and installation company, Geeks-on-Wheels, from his bedroom on Grand Street. Four years ago Ben started his own computer company, Gotham Geeks.

Though Gotham Geeks is thriving, Ben considered it his day job, because he wanted to write and illustrate full-time. He was three years-old when his first observations of life, made when he began to talk, were published in the respected poetry journal, Pudding. He created cartoons for a newsletter at NYU Medical Center, and illustrations for College Board promotion pieces. He recently worked with another childhood friend, Mike Furjanic, and Furjanic’s film company, We Are Kix. He created story boards for videos and he co-wrote the script for Furjanic’s new movie, now being entered for competition at film festivals.

Ben was also working on publishing his graphic novel, Samurai Times. He had many ongoing projects with other friends.

Ben was loved because for his happy spirit, wit and time-release hilarity about life situations. After laughing hard at the original observation, you’d be reminded hours, days later and laugh again and again. He was also the connoisseur of sandwiches and a gourmet cook, known for lava cake, turducken and original skirt steak marinades. His cultural tastes ranged from reading the New Yorker to watching wrestling. He loved Howard Stern, Quinten Tarantino and nearly all movies.

He leaves his mother, Susan Merrill, of San Antonio, Texas, his father, Frank (Donna) Prezelski of Tucson, Arizona, his brother, Samuel Prezelski, of Danbury, Connecticut, and his sister, Kate (Evan) Church and their children, Cain and Hudson, of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Remsenburg, Long Island.

Funeral services will be held at Asbury United Methodist Church in Croton-on-Hudson Saturday, February 6, at 3 p.m. Memorial visitation will be held at Edward F. Carter Funeral Home, 41 Grand Street, Croton-on-Hudson Thursday and Friday, February 4th and 5th from 4-8.

Flowers are accepted or contributions to a charity of your choice.