BeLike-Ben
Today marks 1,000 days since we lost Ben… and somehow, it still feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once.
There are moments when the weight of that loss still stops us in our tracks—when the silence feels too loud, when we wish for just one more conversation, one more laugh, one more second with him. We miss him in the big moments, and even more in the quiet ones. That kind of love doesn’t fade… it just learns how to live in a different way.
But if these last 1,000 days have shown us anything, it’s this: Ben didn’t leave us empty—he left us with purpose.
Because of him, we’ve come together in ways we never imagined. Friends became family. Pain turned into connection. Grief turned into action. And through that, we’ve raised over $80,000 for the Benjamin C. Campbell Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund at Widener University Delaware Law School, giving others the chance to chase the same dreams Ben worked so hard for. That’s not just a number—that’s impact. That’s legacy.
And you see his impact everywhere.
You see it in the fact that both Milton Hershey School and Newark High School retired his football jerseys—a rare honor, a permanent mark of the kind of teammate, leader, and person he was. A reminder that Ben wasn’t just part of those teams… he changed them. He left something behind in every locker room, every huddle, every person who had the privilege to stand beside him on that field.
You see it in Shannon—her strength, her loyalty, her love that never wavered.
You see it in Pat—still carrying Ben with him in the quiet ways that don’t need words.
You see it in my dad—wearing Ben’s shoes, not because they fit, but because somehow they make him feel a little less alone.
And then there are the signs… the little reminders that stop you in your tracks.
A license plate with 227.
A clock that reads 11:11.
Moments that feel too perfectly timed to be coincidence.
It’s like Ben still finds ways to say, “I’m here. I never really left.”
Losing Ben broke us open—but it also brought so many people together. It built a community rooted in love, loyalty, and remembrance. It gave us perspective. It gave us purpose. It reminded us how fragile and beautiful life really is.
Ben’s legacy isn’t just in what he accomplished—it’s in who he was.
It’s in the way he showed up for people.
The way he led with heart.
The way he made everyone around him better.
And now, it lives on in all of us.
In how we love harder.
In how we show up.
In how we refuse to let his story end.
1,000 days later… we are still carrying him forward.
In every step. In every memory. In every act of kindness.
We don’t just miss Ben—we live for him now.
And in doing that, we make sure his light never fades.
If you would like to make a donation, please visit Widener University's secure giving page:
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The Benjamin C. Campbell Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund is a registered 501(c)(3), and all donations are tax-deductible. Widener
University's Tax ID/EIN is 23-1386178.
#belikeben
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Beautiful words for a beautiful person. We miss him too, but he is with us everyday ❤️
Seven years ago yesterday, Ben stood in a moment that would become part of his legacy—not just for what he achieved, but for who he chose to be through it all.
“The calloused childhood I endured made me resilient to adversity and the perfect advocate for those enduring a storm.”
— Benjamin Campbell
That wasn’t just something he wrote… it was something he lived.
He carried the weight of losing our mom at such a young age. He walked through years that could’ve broken him—but instead, they built him. Piece by piece, he turned pain into purpose. He became the steady one, the leader, the guidepost for all of us.
He didn’t just dream—he did the work.
A 3.8 GPA.
A leader on the football field.
A presence on campus.
A future lawyer in the making.
And he made it there. He walked into Widener University Delaware Law School and became exactly who he said he would be.
Even if his time in that role was far too short… he proved something that can never be taken away:
You can come from adversity and still rise.
You can carry grief and still build a life.
You can endure the storm—and become someone who helps others through theirs.
That’s Ben.
And today, this isn’t just about looking back.
It’s about looking forward.
Because his story doesn’t end with him—it lives through us.
So whatever you’re facing right now…
whatever feels heavy, unfair, or impossible—
keep going.
Do it like Ben did.
With grit. With heart. With purpose.
Put in the work. Show up anyway.
Chase the dream—even when the odds don’t make sense.
Because Ben didn’t let his circumstances define him—he defined himself.
And if he could do it… so can we.
Today we honor what he accomplished.
Tomorrow, we carry it forward.
#BeLikeBen
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Every class I teach knows about Ben - his life and his legacy ❤️.
Today would have been your 29th birthday, Ben.
Twenty-nine.
It’s strange how time keeps moving forward when a part of us feels like it stopped the day we lost you. I still picture you exactly as you were — your smile, your laugh, the way you carried yourself with confidence and kindness all at once.
Not a single day goes by that I don’t think about you.
Sometimes it’s loud — in memories that hit out of nowhere.
Sometimes it’s quiet — in the small reminders that feel like you saying, “I’m still here.”
We miss you in the big moments.
We miss you in the ordinary ones even more.
But even in the missing, you live.
You live in the stories we tell.
In the scholarship that carries your name.
In the 5k at Newark where you once led with heart.
In Pat and Katie’s wedding day.
In Dad’s strength.
In the way our family holds each other tighter now.
You live in the way we show up differently — more intentional, more aware, more loving — because we know how fragile this life is.
You are woven into who we are.
Into who I am.
Twenty-nine looks different than we imagined.
But your impact? It keeps growing.
Happy Birthday, Ben!
We carry you with us — today and every single day.
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