Jan. 29, 1981-Sept. 14, 2023
Thomas Benjamin Watkins passed away Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Hurricane, Utah. He was born on Jan. 29, 1981, in Visalia, California to Jim and Deanna Watkins. He grew up in Bakersfield, California.
Ben, the baby of his family, was the last of five children. He enjoyed school in California until he was 13 years old. During that time, he spent a lot of his weekends and summers on his grandparents’ farm in Visalia until the family moved out of state to St. George, Utah, in 1994. He attended Snow Canyon High School where he graduated with honors and went on to study at Dixie College (Utah Tech University).
Ben married his high school sweetheart Amber Echols right after graduation and they had two beautiful children, Logan and Kimber. That marriage ended in 2009. Ben then met the love of his life, Lisa Zubal and the two married in 2010.
After college, he interned for an architect in town and later decided to start his own business, Drafting Excellence. Its success kept him very busy and provided his family with a good life. Through dedication and hard work, Ben and Lisa built their dream home in Hurricane and lived there until his passing.
Ben’s family was his entire world. He loved his wife Lisa so much. His children were his everything, and he was a very loving father. He spent his time with them snowboarding, mountain biking, camping, hiking, motocross riding and so much more. Ben also took his family on fun trips whenever he could take time off work. One of the best advantages of owning his business was the flexibility he had working from home, which gave him the ability to be a very involved father.
He served on the PTA board at Coral Canyon Elementary School, helping out at school whenever he could. Ben also had a love of mountain biking that he passed on to his kids as he was one of the coaches on the Hurricane High School Mountain Bike Team. He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings. Anyone who knew Ben knew he was a smart, hard-working perfectionist. Everything he did was because of the love he had for his family, His laughter, his teasing, his smile and his gentle, quiet nature will be greatly missed.
Many loved him for his amazing qualities, and many love him still. Ben is survived by his wife Lisa; son Logan; and daughter Kimber. He is also survived by his parents Jim and Deanna Watkins; brothers James and Lance; and sister Julie (Bryan Winder). He is preceded in death by his older brother Wayne Randy.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, Sept. 21, at 2 p.m., with a visitation at 1 p.m., at the LDS Chapel located at 1178 South 700 West, Hurricane, Utah.
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Arrangements are under the care of Metcalf Mortuary, (435) 673-4221. Visit the Metcalf Mortuary website for condolences, complete obituary and funeral listings.