Benjamin Jacob Dillon

Benjamin Jacob Dillon passed from this life to his next great adventure on March 4, 2025, in Oakland, California. He was 37 years old.Ben was born on August 19, 1987, in Wichita, Kansas, the youngest child of Greg Dillon and Robi (Dillon) McClendon. He was affectionately called “B.J.” until around eight, when he confidently marched into the room and declared, “B.J. is a baby name-my name is Ben!” From then on, he embraced his name, though his sister lovingly called him “Benji,” his mom stuck with “Benny Wenny,” and to his nieces and nephews, he was the ever-special “Uncle Ben.” Even as a child, Ben was adventurous and creative. He loved music, movies, building with Legos, and exploring new ideas. His sense of humor, kindness, and curiosity were constants throughout his life. Ben attended Northeast Magnet High School for one year before transferring to Wichita Southeast High School, where he thrived in the drama department and contributed his talents to the school newspaper through photography and journalism. He graduated in 2005 as an honor roll student. He attended the University of Missouri in Columbia (Mizzou), where he studied photojournalism and film. In 2008, he studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland, and later traveled to Austria, England, France, Hungary, and the Netherlands-always with his camera in hand and his artist’s eye, capturing moments of beauty in everyday life. He graduated magna cum laude in 2009 and was on the Dean’s List all four years. After college, Ben moved to Lawrence, Kansas, in 2009. He and his brother, Zach, shared an especially close relationship-living side by side, from childhood into adulthood. In Lawrence, they were roommates and worked together at Panera, and later, Ben worked at the popular Wheatfields Bakery. In the summer of 2010, Ben moved into the Ecumenical Campus Ministries' “Koinonia” community living space. Ben thrived in intentional communities, later joining Olive House in Lawrence, and Trinity House in San Francisco.In February 2012, Ben joined AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), a federal service program that engages young adults in team-based national service projects. As a corps member, he dedicated over 1,700 hours with the Atlantic Region of NCCC-affectionately calling it “N-Trip.”Serving as a member of Raven 3, Ben traveled across six northeastern states, taking on a wide range of projects, from cabin restoration and trail maintenance to home construction. He also played a critical role in disaster response, assisting in shelter operations in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. His service extended even further when he joined Firefox 1, a fire team conducting prescribed burns with Albany Pine Bush Preserve in New York. Recognized for his leadership skills, Ben was later selected as one of five corps members to lead his own fire team-Phoenix 3-where he guided his team in wildland fire suppression efforts alongside the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in Suffolk, VA.While most N-Trip members moved on after their year of service, Ben chose to return for a second term, this time as the Community Relations Support Team Leader. In this role, he was the heart of campus operations and morale, keeping teams connected through a newsletter and organizing major events, including the program’s graduation and awards banquet. He also played a key role in welcoming the newly formed FEMA Corps, assisting with their induction ceremony. To commemorate the collective efforts of the corps, he single-handedly designed a stunning yearbook celebrating their 10 months of service in 2013. For his dedication, Ben was honored with The President’s Volunteer Service Award - Lifetime Achievement Award, having contributed over 4,000 hours of service. Ben’s AmeriCorps journey didn’t end there. After returning home to Kansas in 2014, he continued his passion for service as a Team Leader with AmeriCorps National at the Youth Volunteer Corps of Kansas City. There, he mentored and inspired young people through meaningful community service projects addressing critical citywide needs. In addition to leading projects, he educated youth on service learning, sustainability, and food insecurity, ensuring they left with lifelong lessons. As the only man in an office full of women, Ben fit right in with his easygoing nature, humor, and deep respect for others, forming friendships he cherished for years to come. After AmeriCorps, Ben worked in Community Relations for The Whole Person, a disability advocacy organization in Kansas City. Ben then moved to San Francisco in 2016 and began working at UC Berkeley in the History Department, and two years later became the Communications Director for the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies Department. He is described as the heart of both departments: everyone knew and cherished Ben, from students to staff to faculty. He met every challenge with grace and kindness, and went above and beyond to make every person feel special and included. His photography and design work for theater and dance productions elevated the visibility of student and faculty artists in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. In 2017, Ben met the love of his life, Elaine. Together, they built a life filled with love, laughter, mutual support, and adventure. They shared a deep bond: Elaine was not only his partner, but also his best friend. Ben enjoyed traveling, hiking, biking, spending quality time with friends and family, and storytelling through photography. He had a brilliant mind, a quick wit, and a deep appreciation for language, especially Irish poetry and clever wordplay. He was a devoted animal lover and the proud “dogfather” to three rescue dogs. Ben was a loyal friend, and his warmth, humor, and generosity touched countless lives. He believed fiercely in kindness, equality, and justice-and lived those values through quiet acts of service and bold commitments to his community. He volunteered for habitat restoration projects, animal shelters, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and more, always giving with humility and heart. Ben is survived by his loving partner, Elaine Westcott; his mother, Robi McClendon (Mike); his father, Greg Dillon; and his siblings, Nate Dillon (Jermaine), Lindsey Baxter (Michael), and Zach Dillon, stepsister Ashley Shinert (Mike), and Julia Glocker (Theo), a sister at heart. He was a wonderful uncle to his cherished nine nieces and two nephews. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, William and Eva Sanderson; his uncle, David Sanderson; his paternal grandparents, Vernon and Erlene Dillon; and his infant twin brothers, Matthew and Jacob Dillon. As 1 Thessalonians 4:13 reminds us, “We do not grieve as those who have no hope.” Ben's legacy of compassion, creativity, humor, and love lives on in every life he touched. A celebration of Ben’s life will be held on April 12th, at 1 PM. Located at Journey Church, 9999 East Harry St., Wichita, KS 67207. Ben lived a life of service, and he would be honored if you decide to volunteer your time locally or donate to these organizations:Habitat for Humanity - www.habitat.orgDoctors Without Borders - www.doctorswithoutborders.orgACLU - www.aclu.org A GoFundMe has also been set up to help Ben’s family: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-ben

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