Ben was born in McComb, Mississippi, and grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In high school he gave himself an artist name, Sir De Ben Yaun. He signed his artwork with it and called himself by it for the rest of his life, because that is who he was: a creative talent.
He studied acting at LSU, but he never needed a stage. He played a whole cast of characters wherever he went, and no matter who you were, he found a way to make you laugh. He painted, took photographs, acted, and wrote and voiced radio commercials during a career at Star 101 FM in Orlando and at Fox 97 and B98.5 in Atlanta. He never stopped exploring his creativity.
In retirement Ben moved to the beautiful north Georgia mountains and spent his time fly fishing, hiking, and volunteering to maintain the Benton MacKaye Trail.
Ben was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2020 and faced it with the grace and humor that defined him.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John Clifton Yaun, Jr. and Robbie J. Yaun; his first wife, Jeanmarie Kenny Yaun; his brothers Jesse F. Yaun, Charlie L. Yaun and John C. Yaun III; and his sister Robin Y. Schexnayder Elliott. He is survived by his wife, Carol Huey; his sons, Benton and Jesse Yaun; his sisters, Janie C. Casey and Lucinda K. Higgins; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026, at St. Ann Catholic Church in Marietta, Georgia. He will be laid to rest beside Jeanmarie Kenny Yaun at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs, GA.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Alzheimer's Association (alz.org) or the Benton MacKaye Trail Association Land Acquisition Fund (bmta.org/donate).
Ben filled the world with color, characters, caring, laughter and stories. He will be deeply missed.
