Benjamin P. Harris

Benjamin "Ben" Harris, age 50, of Sutton and Grafton, passed away on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, after enduring cancer with the same steady calm and gentle strength he carried through life.

Ben is survived by his wife, Elizabeth "Liz" Harris and his two children, Liam and Molly. He is also survived by his mother, Martha Sinclair of Maynard, MA; sister, Jennifer Sinclair of Medford, MA; his aunts Morningstar Medaye of Ashby, MA, Susan (and David) Fogg of Oregon and Judy Housman of Cambridge, MA as well as a cousin, Matthew Rajcok of Cambridge, MA. He is predeceased by his father, Benjamin Harris (New Mexico) and uncle, Paul Rajcok (Cambridge, MA). He also leaves his mother-in-law, Christine Ottoson (Sutton, MA), in-laws, Jennifer, Daniel, Abby and Ethan Wren (Sutton, MA), Neil, Maggie and Vivian Ottoson (Scarborough, ME) and many friends who loved him like a brother including Dante Volpe, Rob Karyadeva, Jacob Luse, Lane Meyer, Peter Hughes, Jeremy Page and Michael Monroe.

Ben graduated from Sudbury Valley School (Framingham, MA) in 1994. He continued to hold a big space in his heart for the experiences and memories he had at SVS, including the lifelong friendships created there. SVS was also where he first met his wife, Liz.

Ben was most at home in nature. He loved to garden, collect rocks and shells at the water’s edge, and always kept his eye to the sky to see what birds he could spot. When he wasn’t outside, he was happiest at home with his family or sitting in a comfy chair, wearing his reading glasses with a book—likely about Buddhism—in his hands.

Ben loved his children with an unassuming tenderness. He joined them in their exploration of wonder. He had a gift for reading to his children, always nailing the characters’ voices and loved building Lego bricks with Liam- never to be called “Legos” by Ben. He also loved the community that Liam, Molly, and the whole family found through the children’s school, Touchstone Community School in Grafton. Ben especially cherished his weekly trips to Molly’s outdoor classroom to build a campfire on colder mornings.

Ben was a longtime employee of Koopman Lumber, where he was known as “Gentle Ben.” He had a love of woodworking, building, and creating. He was also a quiet observer, a passionate believer in taking care of our earth, a lover of a good IPA and an amazing hugger.

The family would like to express a special thanks to all of the doctors and nurses who helped care for Ben over the past year, especially Dr. Alain Uwumugambi, CNP Sam Reaves, Nurse Courtney and the entire IR team at Memorial campus, all from UMass Hospital.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 22, 2026, in the Pickering & Son Upton Funeral Home, 45 Main Street, Upton. Visiting hours will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 A.M., followed by a Gathering of Remembrance Service at 11:00 A.M., all at the funeral home.

A graveside farewell will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Providence Road, Grafton.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to “The Ben Harris Memorial Fund for Liam & Molly” at any Unibank location (mailing address: 49 Church St, Whitinsville, MA 01588) or to The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. 

Those who knew Ben felt his kindness of heart and clarity of mind in a way that was deeply tangible. In his passing, we are reminded of what once served as a call along life’s path:

Furthest and highest, yet not beyond reach,

Choose thou well a path that teaches.

For in new lands shall gleam the sun,

When I am lost, again am one.