Obituary of Benjamin Isaac Echols

Benjamin Isaac Echols was born in Melbourne, Florida on June 9, 2002 and died on December 15, 2023 in Cocoa Beach, Florida.. In his short twenty-one years, he lived a remarkably full life. Benjamin had a compassionate heart and expressed this in many ways. Following the devastating 2011 Super Outbreak in which 360 tornadoes devastated Alabama, Benjamin, at the tender age of ten, decided to join his church youth group and traveled to Alabama to assist with the recovery effort. Ensuing years would find Benjamin engaged in mission and service trips in Tennessee, Kentucky, his home state of Florida, and abroad in the Dominican Republic. In his childhood, Benjamin played Little League baseball, and then joined the Boy Scouts, kindling his love of adventure, somewhat-questionable pranks, and the great outdoors. Following years of dedicated effort, he achieved his goal of obtaining the rank of Eagle Scout at age fourteen. Benjamin nurtured his intellectual gifts by becoming fluent in Spanish and Creole. He discovered and developed his musical gifts by becoming an accomplished guitar (acoustic, electric, and bass) player, as well as masterfully tickling the ivories with creative originals and spontaneous improvs. He shared his musical gifts with his church family, and with various venues across the greater Melbourne area. To know Benjamin was to experience a warm light, a compassionate heart, a mischievous grin, and twinkle in his eye that left you pondering -- perhaps dreading—what he might be planning next! Benjamin is survived by his parents, Gray and Jinkie; his brother, Justin; his sister, Abigail; and his grandfather, Charles, and grandmother, Jinkie. In lieu of flowers, tax-deductible gifts in Benjamin’s memory may be made to Braveheart Properties of Brevard, Inc., 200 Sandpiper Drive, Cocoa, Florida, 32926 (www.braveheartproperties.org, see yellow “Donate” button at the upper right of the home page).

Services

Florida

December 31, 2023

St. John’s Episcopal Church

610 Young Street

Melbourne, Florida 32935

5:30 – 6:15 PM Viewing in the Church

6:30 – 7:30 PM Prayer and Share in the Church park

Immediately after his birth at Holmes Regional, upon discharge from the hospital, Benjamin’s parents drove him straight to St. John’s and placed him on the altar, dedicating him to God. We give thanks to the Rev’d Eric Turner, and all the

faithful saints at St. John’s, for welcoming Benjamin and his family back upon the occasion of his graduation to the nearer presence of Jesus.

Virginia

January 6, 2024

St. John’s Episcopal Church

1002 Blue Ridge Road

Glasgow, Virginia 24555

10:15 – 10:45 AM Viewing in the Church

11:00 AM Service: The Burial of the Dead

Interment will follow immediately after the liturgy in the Glasgow Cemetery:

1208 Fitzlee Street.

Benjamin was baptized at St. John’s in Glasgow, and his family gives thanks to the saints at St. John’s for welcoming him back for his burial.