Benjamin Harold Dial was born to Ben Hill Dial and Dalphia Roberts Dial in Newnan, Ga., in 1938. He passed away in Anacortes on March 18, 2016, at the age of 77.

Ben grew up the eldest of three boys. The younger brothers would try and pick fights with him, but learned early on they could never win. Ben was a loving, strong, protective and sometimes stubborn brother. He was a Southern boy who took pride in the fresh vegetables from their garden at his dinner table every evening.

He often shook his head at “today’s generation of teenagers” that consider ketchup a vegetable. His younger brother recalls Ben’s fascination with cars. Throughout the years, he collected several vintage cars — including a classic Triumph Spitfire convertible.

Ben and his younger brother were in the same grade at school because they were so close in age, and many thought they were twins. They did everything together, even joining the Navy after high school where they were together for the first six months of service until they attended different schools.

On a trip to Bunk’s Drive-in with his sailor friends, Ben met a Ferndale gal, and on Nov. 27, 1959, in Bellingham, he and Janet were married. The Navy transferred the Dials to Alameda, Jacksonville, and on to NAS Whidbey.

A Vietnam War veteran and retired commandmaster chief, NAS Whidbey Island, Ben served 33 years in the military. His family recalls him often reminiscing of his time in the Navy, and especially his stories of favorite deployments in Australia, Hong Kong and Brazil.

After retiring from the military, he started a second career as an Island Transit bus driver in 1990, where he won first place in the staff’s annual bus rodeo. Island Transit gave him the nickname of Gentle Ben for his caring attitude — he had an enormous heart and a gentle and kind heart. He served at the senior center with his wife and would drive the bus for their field trips.

He was well-known and loved among his Sunrise Hills neighbors, a community he lived in for 43 years. Because of his time in the Navy, he was well-traveled in his early years.

Later in life, he explored much of Washington and Canada with his family, and especially enjoyed trips to Harrison Hot Springs for Black Forest cake and soaks in the mineral pools, and to Beachwood Resort in Blaine for beach walks, candy shop visits and fun in the pool.

Ben is survived by daughter Debbie Dial of Marysville and son Ben (Lori) Dial of Bellingham and brother, Rodney (Ruth) of Kennesaw, Ga. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Christy and Brooks Rice and their children Jeremiah and William, all of Eugene, Ore.; Jessica Blindauer and fiancé John Robb of Oak Harbor; Holly and Marcelo Vargas of Lynnwood; Kelsie and Tyson Pfaff and their children Rylie and Deegan Jansen and Ashton and Tabor Dial of Bellingham; and his most recent canine companion, Groucho. His wife Janet preceded him in death by exactly three weeks — they were married 56 years. His parents, Ben and Dalphia Dial, and brother David also predeceased him.

Memorial services to honor the life of Ben Dial will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, 2016, at Wallin Funeral Home in Oak Harbor with Chaplain David G. Lura, CHC, USNR (Ret.) officiating.

Please visit Ben’s page in the Book of Memories at www.wallinfuneralhome.com to share memories and condolences. Arrangements are entrusted to Wallin Funeral Home & Cremation, LLC, Oak Harbor.