Yesterday afternoon I attended the Celebration of Life for former Oakland Raider, Ben Davidson, who passed away on July 2, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. It was a beautiful event, and I came away from it with a better understanding of Ben’s life outside of football. Of course, several of his football friends and former teammates were in attendance. Tom Flores, Ron Mix, Earl Faison, Bob Zeman, Otis Sistrunk, Marv Hubbard, Art Thoms, Dan Connors, Rod Sherman and others were in the audience, laughing and sharing wonderful old football stories.
I think, however, I most enjoyed the friends and family that I met and listened to, as they spoke of their connection to Ben and his wife, Cathy. Ben’s brother, Frank, told stories of their boyhood mischief in the hills of Los Angeles. My favorite was how they once came across a shark’s carcass on the beach, hauled it home on the top of their car, and then tossed it up onto a particularly nasty neighbor’s roof, in a spot hidden from plain view.
His daughters spoke of their memories growing up, with their dad instilling his love for travel in each of them. A son-in-law recalled how Ben could talk to strangers, and how his honest interest in all things led him to strike up conversations with nearly anyone. His eldest granddaughter remembered sleeping in a motorhome with Ben and teammate Tom Keating, and how she and Keating were excited when Ben woke up the next morning and decided to serve pie and ice cream for their breakfast.
A group of three women from the Muscular Dystrophy Associated talked about how Ben had volunteered to be a national spokesperson, and his willingness to travel the country in efforts to raise awareness and funding for their organization.
The thing that impressed me the most was how these many people, from all walks of life – athletes, children, postmen, marines, society ladies, family and friends alike, were all moved by Ben’s kindness and genuine personality. We should all be so fortunate to touch that many lives, in such a positive manner.
Thanks for the remembrance, Todd. I had not heard about Ben’s passing until I read your post this morning. I recall well his mustachioed presence and his menacing stare as he harrassed AFL opponents back in the early days. It’s great to hear of his life off the field. RIP, Ben.
Hi Buzz-
Yes, he was a great person. If you do a site search for Ben Davidson, you will find several articles that I have written about my experiences with Ben Davidson – all very positive!
Thanks, Todd
Thanks for the story. I enjoyed reading it. Though I never say Ben play in person do to my age, I did meet him several times and enjoyed chatting with him about football and admired him for being a true gentleman when he was around fans.
I never saw him play either, but he was a really wonderful guy. I already miss seeing him around town, and visiting with him on occasion.
My favorite memory of Ben is one I still can’t believe I saw…
I was watching a Chiefs-Raiders play-off game on TV. KC had the ball and the lead with just a few minutes to go. Their was a penalty. Ben picked up the ref’s flag and… tucked it into the front of his pants! The official that threw it didn’t appear to try to locate it and the commentators said nothing. Did it really happen?
Anyone else recall seeing that?
thanks todd! it was a wonderful celebration. i learned a lot, as i always did when other folks talked about their experiences with my dad.
janella
Thanks to you, Vicky and your mom (who called me) for the invitation. I also enjoyed hearing the stories of your dad. While I always enjoy football stories, I most enjoyed the non-football stuff. It gave me a better picture of him as a father, friend, volunteer and fun-loving guy. Your dad was a wonderful person.