Golden Valley, MN - Benjamin (Ben) Joseph Whelan, age 34, of Golden Valley, Minnesota passed away unexpectedly on March 6th, 2026. Bill and Diane Whelan were blessed to welcome Ben on November 10th, 1991 in Robbinsdale. Ben was a beautiful son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend and lover to all, and will be greatly missed.

Ben attended St. Raphael's Catholic School before going on to Robbinsdale Cooper High School, from which he graduated in 2010. He earned a bachelor's degree in Urban and Community Forestry from the University of Minnesota in 2014. Following college, Ben went on to work as a successful certified arborist and worked for his family company Urban Foresters until starting his own successful company, Treeben's Tree Care.

Ben lived a life of adventure. He traveled the country north, south, east, and west from Alaska to Pennsylvania and around the world to New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia where he trained and competed as a professional lumberjack. He took his best friend Ole (the best dog there ever was) with him on many of his adventures and loved that dog as much as life itself. Ben's love of the outdoors led him to be a world class fisherman and hunter, enjoying many hunting and fishing trips with his father. He loved hockey and was able to enjoy one of his favorite traditions of attending the Minnesota High School hockey tournament with his dad one last time.

He is proceeded in death by Ole and his grandfathers, Ronald Loch and Thomas Whelan. He is survived by his loving parents, Bill and Diane Whelan of New Hope, his favorite sister Nicki Whelan of New Hope, his grandmothers Dorothy Loch of Buffalo, and Mary Lou Whelan of Annandale, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, a few crazy dogs, and the damn cat he saved from a tree.

The family welcomes you to Ben's Celebration of Life, which will be held at the country home of Bill and Diane Whelan on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026 at 5999 Desoto Ave NW, Maple Lake MN 55358, beginning at 11:30 am.