Benjamin Morley Larson was born on Friday, November 13th, 1992, a few minutes before midnight, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
He always figured out how to get just what he wanted.
Ben was an original. He was the first kid to show up to kindergarten with a hair color that made the principal call his mother. Ben decided to color his hair, made a plan, earned the money, and then colored his hair blue.
He moved to Oceanside, Oregon, with his family in June of 2000 at the age of 7.
Ben’s love of cooking started in his family’s restaurant kitchens alongside his mother. From a young age, he was surrounded by food, hard work, and the fast-paced energy of the restaurant world. Cooking became more than just a job to Ben; it became one of the ways he connected with people and showed love to those around him, and we all know how much he loved his baked goods.
He graduated from Tillamook High School in 2011. By then, cooking was already deeply rooted in who he was. His strong work ethic, creativity, and passion for food carried him through kitchens all along the Oregon Coast and touched the lives of many people along the way.
He started his culinary career cooking alongside his mother. He then worked for Donna Petty at the Rendezvous Restaurant in Tillamook.
Then he headed to Portland to attend the Oregon Culinary Institute. He graduated in 2016 and completed his internship with Tommy Flood at the Schooner Lounge in Netarts, Oregon.
He landed his dream job at The Wayfarer Restaurant in Cannon Beach, working for Chef Josh Archibald in May 2017, who had a huge impact on Ben. It was there, under the patient hands of Johanna, that he discovered his love for breakfast cooking.
He left the Wayfarer after taking some time off and navigating struggles with addiction.
Ben had recently returned to breakfast cooking at the Parkside in Garibaldi and was also helping at the Lakeside Hideaway in Rockaway when he passed away. Being the true workaholic that he was, he was also working for Debbie Sasse, his other mother, at Mama Mia’s in Nehalem.
Ben’s love of cooking took him all over the coast and into the lives of many people. Whether it was coworkers, customers, friends, or family, Ben had a way of making people feel welcome. His friends meant the world to him, and he carried deep loyalty for the people he loved. He was never one to gossip or speak ill of others. Ben had a huge heart, and even through his struggles, he tried to see the good in people.
Ben also loved music and concerts. He was always looking forward to the next adventure, the next show, and the next memory to make with the people he cared about.
Ben loved his sister, Galena. She mother henned him, gave him crap when he needed to hear it, and she was the only one he allowed to tell him what to do as an adult. They worked together for several years; he was her bar cook when she had her little bar, the Cabana Room. He loved her with all his heart.
Ben also loved his dog Dottie, who will miss him dearly.
He also loved women, but especially his Letty Buchanan. She was his true “bring her home to mom” girl.
There was also a passion for playing video games. He loved Zelda. The pool table was another challenge he truly enjoyed.
He passed away on Friday, May 15th, 2026, following an accidental overdose. We are proud of the two years clean from his addiction.
To his acquaintances who are still in active addiction, take a moment to reflect that this could happen to you, and the sadness it causes is tragic.
Those who were there to meet Ben on the other side include his father, Elliott Larson; his grandfathers, Jay Larson and Ken Hall; his grandmother, Miriam Hanson; His Aunt, Ronnie Eldridge; his honorary uncle, Michael Waters; and his dogs, Desi, Sophie, and Turbo.
Those left behind to mourn him are his mother, Kendra Hall, and stepfather, Allan Bramall of Nehalem; sister and brother-in-law, Galena Flores and Skyler Winfrey of Tillamook; brother and brother-in-law, Daryl Johnson and Michael Piccolo of Cathedral Valley, California; aunts and uncles Sally and Doran Hall and JoAnn and William Hall of Salt Lake City; Uncle Paul Larson of Chicago, Illinois; Uncle Butch of Sequim, Washington; and honorary aunts Charlie, Tamara, Pam, and Jane.
Our farewell to Ben will be held Saturday, June 20th, at noon at Mama Mia’s in Nehalem.
Everyone is welcome to celebrate Ben.
