A non-traditional obituary and memorial notice (because Dad made me promise to 'do things different'):

Ben Rosenbaum, birthday March 29, 1924, passed away gently and peacefully on the morning of May 6, 2018 at the age of 94. He had a wonderful and full life.

Ben was the happiest person, finding joy in the small things in life. He laughed and chuckled all of the time. He loved dancing, flirting, cats, the sky, dirt, bowling, music, was a self-taught harmonica player, loved to sing (Butterbeans was his favorite), and absolutely loved gardening. His favorite food was watermelon. He could light up a room with a smile, a smile that made his eyes and his whole being twinkle! The only thing I know he hated was weeds!

He did amazing things in his life- even climbed/hiked a mountain when he was 86! He loved to help his family and friends. Rarely did he ever say no.

He was a good brother to Kay, Abe, and Edna. He was a wonderful and fun Uncle Ben to his nieces and nephews- Ken, Chuck, Marleen, Jason, Steven, Susan, Jerry, and Marv. He was a wonderful dad to the 6 children he called his own: Serena, Bobbie, Frank, Mike, Wendy, and Charles. He had 2 grandchildren, Ashley and Marvin, who grew up being serenaded by their Papa Ben. He is loved by many and will be missed by many.

In lieu of a memorial service and flowers or cards, our non-traditional family would like to invite you to participate in our very first 'Ben Rosenbaum Day'.

Dad loved to look at the world with child-like wonder. To Ben, the world was magic, and he loved exploring and examining everything.

A Ben Rosenbaum Day looks like this:
Serena English and I would like to ask that at on Saturday, May 12 at exactly 11:45 Eastern Time, everyone do something that you know Dad would love to do:
pull weeds (the evil buggers), marvel at the big blue sky, watch a lizard, look for dragonflies, smell a flower, hold someone's hand, ride a horse, ride a bicycle, pet a cat, hug someone, dance, sing Butterbeans (it's on my Facebook page), or think of happy memories of Dad.

Do something that makes you think of our extraordinary Ben with love and happiness. Please, do not cry, because he is not gone. As long as he is in your heart, you will carry him with you always.