Aleks, Benjamin F.
Benjamin F. Aleks, 76, of Somers, died January 10, 2024 at Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs, Conn. He was the beloved husband of Candace (Crand) Aleks for 37 years.
Born Jan. 16, 1947 in Dorchester, Mass. Ben was the son of the late Benjamen and Victoria (Kotarba) Aleks. He grew up in Longmeadow, Mass., and developed into an outstanding athlete early on.
Following in the footsteps of his dad, a 7-time New England AAU wrestling champion, Ben began competing in the sport as a teen, and it quickly became his lifetime passion. As a freshman at Cathedral High School, Springfield in 1961, he became the first competitor to take the mat when the Purple Panthers started a wrestling program. He won his match in the 103-lb. weight class despite tipping the scales at just 95 lbs., and eventually won the city championship.
He attended from Curry College in Milton, Mass., which had no wrestling team, so he hitchhiked daily to Attleboro to wrestle for a YMCA team. He won the 1967 New England Championships at 125 lbs. and was runner-up in the National YMCA Championships in Toledo, Ohio.
Upon graduation from Curry in 1969, Ben began giving back to the sport he loved by taking his first coaching job at Milton Academy. A year later at age 23, he again followed in his dad's footsteps and began coaching at Cathedral. In eight seasons, his teams compiled a 118-27-4 record, winning 94 straight matches against western Mass. opponents and capturing three western Mass. championships.
After a brief hiatus, he came to Enfield, Conn. in 1983 to take the helm of the wrestling program at Enrico Fermi High School. He immediately instilled a winning tradition, directing the Falcons to a runner-up finish in the 1985 Class LL tournament, then taking second place at the State Open in 1987.
Ben stepped down from the Fermi post following the 1993-94 season, after amassing a record of 171-71-2 for a .705 winning percentage. His overall coaching record was 289-98-6, a .743 winning percentage, and following his official retirement, he continued to work as a volunteer assistant for another 25 years. He also assisted in reviving the Enfield youth wrestling program, which had been dormant for many years.
His tireless efforts to establish a dedicated wrestling center came to fruition in 2019, when the former Fermi band room was converted into a practice facility. On Dec. 16, 2019, the Ben Aleks Wrestling Center was officially dedicated in his honor, and since 2023, an annual multi-team meet at Enfield High School is named the Ben Aleks Duals.
Ben earned induction into the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016, and his State Open runner-up team was honored in 2022. He received the John Wentworth Good Sport Award from the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance in 2021 and was inducted into the Connecticut chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2022.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, and later became a proud volunteer for the In Case 1 Firing Detail at the Massachusetts Veterans Cemetery in Agawam.
Ben's primary career was in the food distributing business for 49 years as a food broker, food distributor, sales representative and manager of Aleks Distributing Company, East Longmeadow, Mass. and R. L. Schreiber Foods , Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, FL
He and Candy enjoyed traveling worldwide. A particular thrill for Ben came when he set foot on the hallowed ground of the original Olympic Games in Olympia Greece.
Besides his wife, Ben is survived by his daughter, Jennifer (Aleks) Macdonald, (Bryan), grandchildren Sarah, Paul and Sean Macdonald of Longmeadow, Mass. Sister-in-law Patricia Aleks and niece, Kathy Aleks of East Longmeadow, Mass. Nephews Allen and Jason Tourville of Florida. Cousins Carolyn Shost of Manchester, N. H. and Dian Doyle of La Jolla, Calif. along with many dear cousins in the Boston area.
The funeral is scheduled for Monday, January 15, 2024 at 9 A.M. at Browne Memorial Funeral Chapels, 43 Shaker Rd. Enfield, CT followed by a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10:30 A.M. at Holy Family Church, 23 Simon Rd, Enfield, CT
Rites of Committal and Military Honors will follow at Somers Center Cemetery, 81 Battle St., Somers, CT. Visiting hours at Browne Funeral Home will be Sunday, January 14, 2024 from 2:00 -5:00 P.M.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Ben's memory may be made to the ALS Association, 1300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22209 or ALS UNITED Connecticut, 4 Oxford Rd., Suite E4, Milford, CT 06460. For more information please visit Brownefuneralchapel.com.