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I knew Ben in St. Mary's, AK where we spent a lot of time together...most of every day in 93 and 94. Although we fell out of touch after he started college, I always considered him a close friend and confidant. So, I was shocked and dismayed to discover his death several years after he passed. I still think of him often and wish he were around to come back to Alaska, a place that he enjoyed very much.

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me smile. I remember when we got pulled over in a northern border town in Maine by an old and friendly cop at the beginning of our trip (c. late May 1996). He was in his cruiser for a long time before returning with your Alaska license. If I recall, he thanked you for allowing him to call Alaska to check the validity of the ID (which had no picture), then he asked us where we were going. He thought our road trip sounded pretty cool. Before sending us on our way, he told us to slow down and watch out for moose, which we thought was just local BS. Not two miles down the road we stopped at a gas and service store, only to see the most amazing wrecked car, covered in moose hair and some blood. It looked like the car hit a tree. The owner was drinking coffee inside the store and said the moose walked away (but probably died). The car was totaled. We drove slower the rest of the day. I miss you brother.

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Hey Ben, I can't believe you have been gone 10 years. Matt Champion named his first born son after you... but you know that already. Hank and Penny are amazing, and Will is a very big fan of wheels, something you can appreciate. Brother Matt has a great saying about wheels and women, but it doesn't belong on a website for families. Jamie is currently my favorite McChampLingCoakley baby (after Beck, of course), because he is all blue eyes and chubbiness. He looks like he might have eaten another baby before coming home from the hospital. The last time I was holding Jamie he barfed on me without blinking. I feel it was a sign of affection, or perhaps too much bouncing on my knee, either way, he's really great. I am going out for drinks tonight with Eben and Sandeep, and maybe Jesse. We'll toast your indelible influence on all of us, near and far. Speaking of which, Charlie got a job with Big Tugboat out in Seattle (yeah, I know, Seattle), and George and Jessica had a healthy baby boy after a big scare. Thanks for looking out for George, Jessica, Magda and Luka. It’s nice to have some angels at the ready. Beck is amazing. You would really love him. He’s very laid back in a very un-Coakley/Martin way. I like that he sees lots of the details in the world around him. I sincerely hope he sees both the fine points and larger interaction of the world with much of the unique perspective that you did… If you were here today we would go sailing because it’s a beautiful day in DC, breezy and sunny with a hint of spring. I plan on taking the boat over to the marina tomorrow for some repairs and an engine tune up. I’m also gonna buy some more of that excellent hickory wood from the WWI veteran Sea Bee and try to sneak a peek into his “office” again. Should be a good Friday. It still hurts to have you gone and I still struggle to recall all the joy we had in our travels and conversations. My goal is to outweigh my sorrow with joyful memories in less than another decade. I will start by pulling out my scrapbook of our trip across Canada. That book always makes

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Hi Ben, We know you will be with us tomorrow at Beck's baptism, and we are grateful that your brother and sister have agreed to be Beck's spiritual guides here on earth. It will be a joyous day for the Martins and Coakleys and Lings, and we will be thinking of you.

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Hi Ben, We know you will be with us tomorrow at Beck's baptism, and we are grateful that your brother and sister have agreed to be Beck's spiritual guides here on earth. It will be a joyous day for the Martins and Coakleys and Lings, and we will be thinking of you.