Benjamin W. Tenney

August 3, 2020, after a valiant struggle, Benjamin lost his 36-year battle with cancer and its side effects. Born on October 9, 1977, Ben grew up on the family farm in Antrim, NH. Fighting for his life has defined Ben's life as he was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 6. He underwent cancer protocols and was thought to be able to confidently move forward with his life goals at the appropriate times. In 1996, he graduated from the Conval School District prepared to pursue his passion of becoming a licensed Electrician.

The cancer, operations and treatments, left Ben with learning disabilities and emotional issues. In particular, he had a language processing disorder which made learning difficult at best. Over time, with the help of specialists, special education teachers (Larry Burgoyne), and caring supportive teachers and people (Jane Miller, Ann Hyland, Janet Pietrovido, Kristen Paradis - to name a few) he learned to cope and move forward socially and academically.

While at Conval High School, he enrolled in and completed the Building Trades Program located at Mascenic High School. There were two particularly notable people in Ben's life who made a difference in his professional life. While at Mascenic, he caught the attention of the electrical contractor, Clarence Bonner, who helped in the program. He coached and helped Ben who ultimately received "Student of the Year in Building Trades". After high school, Ben went on to the Electrician's Apprenticeship Program. There he met Harlo Richardson, of Peterborough, NH, who was Ben's program mentor and guide for 4 years. With Clarence's and Harlo's help and guidance, Ben went on to become the first person in the United States with an identified disability to complete and pass the Journeyman's Electrical Program. Up until that point, even with the laws on their side, no accommodations were allowed on the testing procedure. Ben's case was successfully argued and broke ground for future students with disabilities to seek the accommodations that could help them attain their dreams.

Ben went on to participate in the electrician's profession for many years until his health started to erode. Strokes, temporary blindness, physical impairments, and other issues all lead him to "temporarily" leave his profession - though he managed to maintain his license in order to "return to work" at some future point. This past January, in the midst of what was an almost three-year battle, Ben actually asked his stepfather Richard to "stand by" in order to help him retrain himself to drive! He was always planning the next step in life, never willing to give up. Ben was just going to go through life doing things his way - "Ben's Way".

In May of this year, the word came down that the tumor he had fought for the past two and a half years had come back and that there were few, if any, viable options. Doctors from Dana Farber, Brigham and Woman's, and Nashua Radiation Center worked on potential treatment plans, but they knew it was a very long shot. Ben is survived by his father Mark Tenney of Antrim, his mother Twila Anderson of New Port Richey, FL, his stepfather Richard Hanlon; along with sister, Amy Corcoran (and husband Shawn) of Brunswick, GA. He also leaves his Uncle Eric and Aunt Linda Tenney and Cousins Crista (Tenney) Salamy (husband Chris), Hunter, Jaxon all of Antrim, NH. Ben had six extended family members - Susan Farwell of Wethersfield, CT, Harry Warren of Rochester, NH, Gordon and Mary Allen of Antrim, Zoey French (Harlo's daughter) and Mary Devlin, who all stood by him for the duration of this 36-year battle he waged. In addition to these kind people, were longtime friends and "family" Evelyn Covey, Lynn Quade, and Kathleen Crawford who were also the point people in his care team. Their help singlehandedly allowed Ben to stay at home rather than be in a facility which would have cut most if not all interaction with his friends and family network. Also were the many strong, kind friends in Antrim Village and the surrounding towns, and HOSPICE Care who all stood by Ben, helping to keep him independent until his passing. No services have been planned at this time. A celebration of Ben's life will be held in the fall. In lieu of flowers and other tributes, a scholarship fund (Benjamin W. Tenney Scholarship Fund) has been set up in Ben's name. Contributions can be sent to the Trustees of the Trust Funds, P.O. Box 95, Antrim, NH 03440. This money will be used to help students who wish to pursue a career path using alternative methods, like two-year college programs or apprenticeship programs such as Benjamin utilized. Thank you to ALL the many kind people in Ben's life who made Ben's life meaningful! To view Ben's online tribute, leave a message of condolence, or for more information, visit www.csnh.com.

LINKS

Cremation Society of New Hampshire

https://csnh.com

The Union Leader Memoriams

http://www.unionleader.com