Ben Reyes Jr.

(Bienvenido Rios Reyes Jr)

Ben Reyes Jr, our beloved husband, dad, grandpa, brother, uncle, and friend passed away suddenly at his home surrounded by his family in Sandy, UT on December 5, 2021. He was born on June 11, 1948, to Bienvenido Rios Reyes and Mercedes Pastoriza Perez in Murray, Utah. His early years were spent in Highland Boy, Bingham Canyon, West Jordan, and Midvale. He attended Bingham Elementary School, Midvale Elementary, Midvale Middle School and Hillcrest High School.

As a teenager, Junior worked on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad at Thistle Junction. In December of 1966 he began a 28-year career at Kennecott Utah Copper, following in his Papi's footsteps. He started out on the track gang and soon found himself as Haulage Truck Driver which he continued to do until his retirement.

In the summer of 1964 he met his sweetheart, Martha Lucero. They were married October 28, 1967, in Salt Lake City, Utah. They lived in Midvale, Utah until 1975 and in that time welcomed 4 children, Renee, Troy, Marlene, and Misty. They moved to Sandy, Utah to raise their children. Over the years they were blessed with 12 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

When you think of Junior you're reminded of motorcycles, his Charger, T-bird, guns, shooting, hikes to Timpanogos Cave and out around Cedar Fort. The trips to Yellowstone, Bear Lake, Mirror Lake, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and Zion's National Park. His love of old Western Movies and Sci-Fi Movies, The Little Rascals, Ozzie and Harriett, Leave it to Beaver, Star Trek, Bonanza, and all of the comedies he could enjoy. The family dinners, holidays, birthdays and special days filled with the best Puerto Rican food you ever tasted. He loved Diet Coke, but only in the bottle, dry roasted peanuts, red and black licorice, starlight mints, butterscotch candy, Bit-O-Honey's. The smell of his cologne and aftershave will forever bring memories of Dad. His greatest joys came in the form of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loves each one of them and has been so proud of all of their achievements.

Junior is survived by his wife of 55 years, Martha, his 4 children and their spouses: Renee and Herb Cork of West Jordan, Troy and Bonnie Reyes of West Valley City, Marlene and Weston Norris of Paonia, Colorado, and Misty Wagner of Sandy, also survived by his grandchildren: Celeste and Earl Amerine, Troy Jr, and Joanna Reyes, Chantelle McCown (Conner), Jeffrey McCune II, Landon Norris, Mike and Val Cork, Dakota Wagner, Madison Wagner, Hunter Norris and Mercedes Norris. Also, his great grandchildren, Belle, Avian, Aliza and Xavian, his Brother, Jimmy and Sherrie Reyes, sister, Minerva Ramirez, and sibling in-laws: Edward and Jolynne Lucero, Joanna Lucero, Sadie and Johnny Reyes, and many nieces, nephews.

Preceded in death by his parents, his granddaughter, Shelby Love Balsamini, his mother-in-law Ramona Nelson, father-in-law Edward Lucero, father-in-law Guadalupe Santana, sister-in-law Prescilla Mascarenas and brother-in-law Raymond Lucero.

We will be having a memorial service for Ben Jr on Saturday, May 14, 2022 at Pioneer Hall: 1137 West 7800 South, West Jordan Utah at 5:30 pm. A dinner will follow immediately after the service. The family would like to thank everyone who has reached out to us in our time of loss with love and memories of a man who will forever be loved, remembered, and missed for the rest of our days. Until we can be together again your memory, love, smile, kindness and generosity will continue to live on through us all!

Give us the "Hi Sign" Grandpa! We'll be good, study hard and keep you in our hearts forever!