Benjamin Lee Cooke (1981-2025)
With broken hearts, we announce the unexpected passing of Benjamin Lee Cooke, 44, on August 18, 2025. A gently radiant soul, Ben left this world too early—while leaving an indelible mark on everyone who had the gift of knowing and loving him.
Born on June 23, 1981, in Columbus, North Carolina, Ben grew up with a deeply curious mind, a wide-open heart, and an extraordinary connection to the natural world. As a child, he once “borrowed” (and safely returned) baby alligators from a nearby sanctuary to better understand them—a story that foreshadowed his lifelong enchantment with the mysteries of the living world and his tender care for all creatures, great and small.
Ben attended both the Hyde School and Morse High School in Bath, Maine, graduating from Morse in 2002. He went on to study at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he received his degree in 2007 and began weaving together his gifts in visual art, movement, music, and his keen sense of the spiritual dimension in nature into a singular, boundary-breaking artistic vision.
