About Ben...
From his obituary
A kind and gentle spirit
Benjamin Jeffrey Watkins, beloved son of Jeffrey David and Amy Elizabeth Watkins, and dear brother of Abby Evelyn Watkins, died on October 17, 2021. He was only 19 years old.
Giving proof to his strong will and outrageous sense of humor from the very beginning, Ben was born an agonizing 11 days late on January 25, 2002, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He spent nearly his entire life growing up in Watchung, New Jersey, where he participated in several activities including little league, roller hockey, soccer, and marching band. He excelled at the French horn, achieving coveted spots with the New Jersey Youth Symphony, Region Band and Orchestra, and All-State Band. Because of Ben, who received a U.S. ambassador grant in 2019, his parents and sister had the pleasure of traveling to Norway to watch him perform for the queen with the Toppenkurset Norwegian Music Academy.
Ben's family moved to Princeton, New Jersey, as he began his sophomore year at The College of New Jersey, where Ben planned to double-major in music performance and psychology, and had already made lasting friendships and significant musical accomplishments. A member of the college's Lambda Nu chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia music fraternity, Ben was an excellent student who made Dean's List each semester. He was also a member of several musical ensembles and student organizations, including the TCNJ Wind Ensemble and Orchestra, and the Lions Gaming, Organization of the Worlds, and Outdoors Clubs.
Ben was best known for his kind soul and warm and gentle spirit. He was passionate about cycling, baking, skiing and building things with his hands, and he made several furniture pieces that will be enjoyed by many for years to come. He loved his friends, family, and music, and could always be counted on for telling (or more often being the subject of) a uniquely funny story.
In addition to his parents and his sister, Ben is survived by three grandparents (Charles Nicholas "Nick" Carter, Catherine Nellie Watkins, David Edward Watkins), aunts and uncles (Nancy Carter, Jen Watkins and Fred Camello, Mark and Joanne Watkins, Rich and Sally Wilk), cousins (Becca and Lizzie Terranova, Jake and Josh Watkins), and countless friends. He was predeceased by his grandmother (Evelyn Jane Carter), who met him for the first time as she welcomed him into heaven.