Ben making a MotoGP Bike Look Good
Generous Gentleman, Genetically-Happy Prankster, world class Writer, world traveler, Career Electrician and lifelong bachelor Ben Marchand passed away bravely fighting Lung cancer this week – leaving behind a plethora of wonderfully kind-hearted women, hearty friends and a widespread wake of unforgettably thoughtful kindnesses.
Courteous – European Manners
Lori L & Ben (in Tails!) for a Wedding
Rarely known to emit epithets, Ben commanded an uncommon display of European manners, courtesy and thoughtfulness. His graciousness was as comfortably home among San Francisco aristocrats, as he was in charming all he met in Paris and Roma. As example – he never forgot to send friends a Birthday Card with a crisp new Two-Dollar bill ! A better example was his caring kindness to his elderly neighbor Maureen. Ben spent every Thanksgiving with her for the last decade of her life.
On the other hand when some Jackass tried to bully him or his friends – Ben was the guy you wanted in your corner. One evening while riding bicycles on a Pebble Beach golf course cart-trail a neighbor yelled at us. Ben stopped to eloquently eviscerate the fellow, calmly. He finished with “Don’t let this happen again – because Next time — I’ll tell you to Fuck Off.”
For the next few minutes until we got out of earshot, it was hard for me to ride without falling off – as I was trying so hard to stifle a belly laugh. When we stopped, we tumbled off our bikes, literally rolling on the ground with laughter.
Ben Award from Decent Docent Brotherhood
Generous
Ben served as a Decent Docent at Anò Nuevo State Park monthly for 40 years, annually buying an entire set of passes to his guided tour so he could host his available friends. For several years Ben reserved an entire parking lot at Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows inviting his adventurously interesting friends to join in for a weekend of shared amusements. And it should be no surprise how he was (allegedly) a humble, but enthusiastic orgasm donor when situations arose.
Once when I was moving, he drove down to Pacific Grove from Healdsburg to help with the enormous task. However many times I tried, he would not let me repay the favor by helping him with his Healdsburg manse.
Education, Formal
Monsieur Marchand – York Yearbook -1973-ish
Ben perpetually radiated charm. One lovely woman at his Memorial admitted she’d had a crush on him in Junior High – that never diminished. We also met at Pacific Grove Junior High School and grew into goofy accomplices. (My father as a West Point student knew Ben’s grandfather who was a revered leader at the esteemed academy).
Ben later attended & excelled in almost everything at York (a private High School in Monterey) as a live-in student in the on-site Dormitories and later in the infamous “Pink House” in Pacific Grove. He didn’t mind at all that his York Dormitory was only walking distance to the world renowned Laguna Seca race track, where we sometimes snuck on to the track for some “unofficial” racing. Later he attended University of San Francisco – a Jesuit School – where he made more wonderful, lifelong friends; also in the slightly goofy (but in a healthy way) realm.
Writer
Ben’s friends were honored recipients of his extraordinary writing skills. I compared it to Hunter S. Thompson’s Gonzo style. Sadly, Ben could never be persuaded to share his writing genius with the wider world. Though maybe we should collect a bunch of his poignant prose into a book . . .
Racing
Ben was known for a racing car passion possibly inspired or resulting from an early teen Germany sojourn, where he returned with some Faller HO racing Slot Cars. They were intended to compete with us unsophisticated Americans racing the lowly stock Aurora brand. (WTF? I just learned our cars were never “HO” size (1/87 scale), they were actually “O” (1/76) and “S” (1/64) sizes!)
Ben assisting Electric Motorcycle Babes with their Posture
He favored road racing — Formula One/Grand Prix, and Can-Am (“No rules”) racing. None of that candy-ass “left turn only,” roundy-round Indy cars & NASCAR.
He was quietly pleased that his initials “BRM” invoked the esteemed British Racing team. As long as it was world class road racing (or flying) he enjoyed it – Moto GP, Reno Air Races, etc. When his mother died, he inherited the family place in Upper Healdsburg (Lower Geyserville), near Sonoma International racetrack – “Sears Point.” Making it easy for him to enjoy those races.
Racing Flip – (Highly skilled Fun with a touch of Rude – Ben’s Favorite Humor. Yes he sent this)
On his last visit to Sicilia, he met one of the principals of the Targa Florio race – the last of the world’s longest true public-road Road-Races. They spent hours sharing racing stories. He was amazed how the gentleman was just as thrilled to meet him – and invited him back.
Not long after the US Formula One Grand Prix race was moved to Texas in 2012, Ben spent a load of cash to attend it. Reported back it was the worst track ever & complete waste of time.
Jacky Ickx & Ben 2024
On the other hand, he recently met Jacky Ickx, one of history’s great racing drivers from the 1970’s era when we were all (at least) racing enthusiasts.
A few years ago Ben splurged on a fun Porsche Cayman. But as he humbly explained “merely the Rubber (floor) mats version.”
Ben’s Annual Sponsored Anò Nuevo Tour for Fabulous Friends
Adventures
While at York, four of us rode 10-speed bicycles from Pacific Grove headed to Yosemite, camping along the way. With Ben riding his Pugeot, We started in the “wrong” direction (taking the scenic route) by zooming South along Big Sur’s magnificent, mountainous coast and up over (unpaved at that time) Nacimiento grade. The start of a grand adventure.
Not all his adventures ended in fun. While at York high school he crashed a friend’s Norton 750 motorcycle at over 100mph on the road behind school – the one leading to Laguna Seca’s track. It took him a long time to recover from those wounds. His electric smile however, never dimmed.
Ben – Decent Docent Mode
Athlete
Always an athlete, Ben was a team leading cross-country runner at York school which was known for its tortuously steep course. He later went to the Olympic tryouts for the Bobsled team as a Sprinter/Pusher, and only missed making the team by hundredths of a second.
Traveler
An easy world traveler, Ben loved France & Italy – and oh so many other cultures and places. Always ready to help friends find the best places to visit. His recent sojourns were to Japan, Hawaii & Toronto with girlfriend Christine “Dung” Tran and her family.
Professional Electrician
Not long ago, Ben retired from a dedicated career as member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He served well as IBEW Dispatcher – delivered with “no-nonsense.” He made strong, fast friends and attended IBEW events across the country as recently as a year ago.
Music – and Cultcha
Ben favored films by Kurosawa and Preston Sturges, relished Shakespeare at Santa Cruz, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in Golden Gate Park, Mark Twain’s humor, New Yorker magazine, and for many decades religiously attended every Grateful Dead concert he could. (Some photographs here might give you a hint of the wide range of friends Ben cultivated and kept smiling.)
Orange Wrecking Ball
Politics
While I rarely heard Ben discuss candidate politics, he did raise his hand at least once to warn friends about a major Con-man. While he did not take this photograph, he might have assembled it. In any case he did mention printing some 2,000 of these “il Douchè” postcards to give away.
He also asked my thoughts on moving to Canada if something horrible like that happened. I’m imagining in his last moments he was at least momentarily grateful to avoid enduring the Orange Wrecking Ball.
Ben Getting the Drop on the Cop (with a squirt gun)
Philosopher
Ben once said “Used be guys who drank, had a lot of style, panache. Unique. So fun to be around. An electrician Darn Dave was hilarious. He was always lit (drunk). Talking one day about his doctor visit he says ‘Oh god I hope it’s cancer. I can’t take getting another cold.‘ Ben continued – “We need those guys.”
Prankster
Uhhmm, we might have to wait until a few more years (& participants) have passed to publish some of these. Like how he came to chose an Electrician career.
Suppose I can mention that he escorted Patty Hearst from neighboring Santa Catalina (All girls school) to the Junior Prom. Apparently she wasn’t converted into a fan. Her first major bad decision.
Here’s one I can show, taken at a Laguna Seca MotoGP race. Ben got away with it – probably because the cop had no idea . . .
More to come . . .
Your comments, stories and photographs are most welcome !
And You are invited, Welcomed and Encouraged to pass this story on to Ben’s widespread set of friends.
*** Celebration of Ben’s Fabulous Life was held at Pacific Grove’s Berwick Park on Saturday March 8 at 9:30am. Potluck Picnic never really got going because everyone preferred sharing great stories of Ben.
Pacific Grove’s Berwick Park is exactly half a mile West of the Aquarium, just past Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station. (In High School, Ben lived in York School’s “Pink Palace” just a block uphill from here.) I am led to believe some un-authorized ash distribution may take place in SF and next to his parents grave in Occidental. And when the snow melts – in his beloved Tulomne Meadows.
# # #
Marchand is an uninhibited creature of the naive. Simple, crude, and heady – like ketchup or treacle – he is a diet scorned by the knowing, but obsessive if succumbed to in error.
It is too easy to dismiss Marchand, for he surpasses badness. He is a strong man in a land of hundred pound weaklings, an incredible concoction of beef steak, husky voice, and brilliantine – a barely concealed sexual advertisement for soiled goods.
Remarkably, he is as much himself in the cheerfully meretricious and the pretentiously serious. Such a career has no more pattern than a large ham; it slices consistently forever. The more lurid or distasteful the art the better Marchand comes across.
I love this lurid description, it smells of envy and the thesaurus. It is about Vic “Manure” Mature, but I modified it to expose my hammier side. (Ham Icon)
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” (*)
(* by Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967)
I believe Ben lived this theme fully & marvelously 🙂
Thanks to Lori for remembering this 🙂
from Mitchell Green class of ’75:
Ben, 2 years ahead of me, was a big influence and great friend my first couple of years at York. He was very cool and didn’t mind me hanging out with him sometimes at school, as well as away from school in all sorts of states of being.
Lots of laughter went with him- whether on the soccer field, morning meeting, at the smoking rail, library, down the hill, the pink house (or other places he lived). His car often ran on fumes, though he seemed to get around. He was a lot of fun and a wonderful person!
After decades of not hearing from him, he contacted me in 2023. He said he was a little antsy in retirement but doing well. We were supposed to connect that September, but he had issues while traveling in Toronto in August that waylaid his plans. He lost his day pack with passport, car keys… Yet he was laughing at himself!
RIP Ben!
Mitchell Green
York ’75
[email protected]
from one of Ben’s York teachers John Pomeroy (who now lives in Austin, TX) —
He remembers Ben as a “model student/athlete who thrived on challenges.”
From Melanie Sievers:
Thank you for letting us know.
Ben was a ray of sunshine.
By the sound of his obit, he continued to be all along.
From Jeff Hoops:
Although I have been living in Colorado the last 16 or so years and have been an inactive alumnus, I remember Ben well and can add a little bit of accuracy and color to the motorcycle crash story as I was there that day at school.
I am not sure that Ben had really ever ridden a motorcycle before, at least a big Norton and it wasn’t his. It was brand new and belonged to Leo Copper. I think we were all just 16 yrs, old. Ben asked Leo if he could ride it, promising that he was a competent rider and Leo let him.
I remember that Ben was a little rough on the shifting but we had the nice straight (mostly) road to the golf ranch right behind the school.
Thankfully he wore Leo’s helmet and took off on that big motorcycle.
He was gone for a very long time.
As it turns out, the way I remember it, he crashed into one of the wooden gates on the way to the golf course that crossed the road and met in the middle. During weekdays one of them was closed and the other side open.
We all think he froze on the accelerator and smashed through that gate. He had the helmet on, but no face covering and we think he then dumped the bike on the side of the road in the sand.
Of course he had to go to the hospital. When he came back to school some days later his face was swollen, he couldn’t talk well because he had stitches in his tongue and had over 100 about his face which was badly swollen. I got the feeling he sort of was proud about all of that but I am sure he was in a lot of pain.
Reading his story that you Emailed me, I was shocked to see that he was into motorcycle and car racing as I had lost track of most of my classmates over the years. I guess get back on the horse that threw you.
Best Regards
Jeff Hoops Class of ’73
From Chris Solberg:
Ben was a big brother to me at York. I remember his crash well and the months it took to recover.
He inspired me to attend USF where I spent 6 mostly happy years to achieve a BA in Government.
I next encountered Ben some years later in the port-a-potty line at the MountainAire Festival in Angel’s Camp. We exchanged a big hug and he told me to give him a call next time I was in Santa Cruz. He was listed in the phone book as Joe Cocomo.
I found him on one of my frequent motorcycle trips down the coast and crashed a party at his house. By this time I myself was in the trades. We exchanged many travel stories and drank many beers. He politely offered me his couch as my headlight suspiciously would not come on for a nighttime ride home. The next morning I rode home to Marin County and we never crossed paths again. I am a poorer man for not having shared in his later adventures, and saddened by his passing but a better man for having known him.
Salud Amigo!
Chris Solberg- York Class of ’75.
Douglas Ikemi ’72:
I was one year ahead of Benjamin and lived in the dorms and the PG house. Ben was one of the Good Guys who got along with everyone and I never heard a bad word against him. I remember that he was always writing poetry. He had a big heart. He was a bit of stability in a confusing time back then.
He did love race cars and he was always talking about a Japanese race car driver he had managed to meet.
I did get a letter after we graduated (at different times, of course) where he talked about becoming an electrician. I wrote back but unfortunately we lost contact after that. No internet back then.
I read the obituary and I am glad that he went on to live a fulfilling and exciting life. I am devastated that it ended shorter than it might have. I am reminded and glad that he shared some of his time with me back then.