Gordon "Ben" Judson of Wawanesa passed away "by the pond", as per his wishes, on Saturday, June 15, 2019 surrounded by loved ones. Ben, as he was known, was born January 28, 1942 and grew up as one of nine children in a small house in the south end of Brandon. As a younger brother, he found out quickly that he had to be tough, a trait he reinforced to those who thought his smaller stature might make him a pushover. His size also had benefits and allowed him the opportunity to jockey horses, which is where he earned his nickname “Ben” after his favorite horse. Ben had a strong work ethic from a young age and felt pride in contributing to the family. As a boy he began delivering newspapers then delivering fish and chips on a motorcycle. As a teen Ben began working food concession stands and traveled with the fair across North America; he did this for many years before eventually deciding he needed to learn a trade. Ben became a printer where he remained until his retirement in the late 1990's. Ben spent most of his life in Brandon before moving to Wawanesa in the early 2000's. While in Wawanesa he began as a rural postal carrier and worked for several years before eventually retiring again. Ben’s passions included caring for his yard, maintaining an immaculate lawn and growing tomatoes. He enjoyed playing cards with family and friends and was known to be "the one to beat" in the family cribbage tournament each year. Ben always had a beer to share and stories to tell. Ben found love the first time in the 1960's with Sharon and the couple had two children Gord and Cindy. His second love, Wendy, came around in the mid 1970's and he had two additional children Ben Jr, and Jackie. The third time he found love was with Denyse before eventually finding tranquility with his dogs Muffy and Skippy, whom he found infinitely more agreeable than any of his previous loves. Ben leaves behind his brother David (Lori), his four children Gord, Cindy (Anthony), Ben (Amy) and Jackie (Rory), as well as 13 grandchildren. Ben was predeceased by his parents Lillian and Gordon, brothers Wes, Whitey, Jim, Ed and Fred and sisters Pat and Claudia. Ben’s family would like to send a special thank you to Dr. Lee of Wawanesa whom Ben especially liked and trusted, and whom provided exceptional care to him in his final days. Family and friends are invited to a come and go “beer in the backyard” in Ben's honour on Sunday, June 30, 2019 between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at Jackie's home. For directions please call 204-824-2174.