Benjamin John Havener, 47, passed away unexpectedly at home on January 9, 2025. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 21, 2025 from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm at McLaren's Resthaven Funeral Chapel in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Ben was born on July 7, 1977 in Des Moines, Iowa, and was raised in West Des Moines. Ben had what he liked to call a "leave it to beaver" childhood. His neighborhood was full of plenty of boys for one on one basketball tournaments, whiffle ball games, swimming at grandma and granddad's pool, and skateboarding. The skateboard ramp built by his granddad was the envy of the neighborhood.
Ben graduated from Valley High School in 1996. He attended Iowa State University for awhile before deciding to join his granddad and uncles in the construction trade. These years provided Ben with skills that remained with him all his life.
Ben later moved to Durango, Colorado, where he met his future wife, Carrie Peterson. Ben and Carrie decided on a new adventure and moved across the country to the Miami, Florida area. While there, Ben obtained a certification in heating and cooling maintenance. In 2012, Ben and Carrie returned to Iowa, where their daughter, Coraline, was born in March of 2013. Coraline was the apple of Ben's eye, and he would ask her daily if all was copacetic.
Ben was preceded in death by his wife, Carrie; his grandparents, Jerry Crow, and Glen and Virginia Havener.
Ben is survived by his daughter, Coraline; parents, Nick and Jeri Havener; brother, Joshua (Mindy) Havener and their children; grandmother Carol Crow; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins. His cat, Oreo, still looks for him daily.
