Lost my son, friend, and fishing buddie

[quality time]

It is with heavy heart that I must tell you that my son, Ben Foley passed away this morning after a long battle with C.F. He was an avid angler, hunter,trapper and sportsman. He had a great respect for the outdoors and fair chase and started catch and releasefishing as early as 3 years old. Not that we did not keep some fish but he understood that the success of the day was not measured by the quantity of game bagged but by the experiences shared with friends and family. Ben got his first boat which was an old 1958 14 footer that he rigged with riggers and planer boards. That little boat had 22 rod holders! He asked me to fish the Red Cross Derby and I agreed. We trolled From Meyers point to AES and bagged a big rainbow off AES. I netted the fish and to my surprise the fish leaped out of the net. My heart sank but he said "father calm down, he is still on" and I netted him a second time for good. On inspection the fish was 28" long and I told Ben we had to get him to the weigh station as soon as possible. The problem was his boat only had a 5hp Honda and it took 2 hrs. to get back. He missed first place by 1 ounce but it was a still great day. Just like in "Jaws" We are going to need a bigger boat! Soon after I bought our boat "Quality Time" We spent countless hours in that boat over the next few years. It does not have as many rod holders as his old boat but we had some great memories in it. I hope you folks don't mind but I would like to share some pics of him! Wes

Edited October 23, 2014 by quality time

[chuck527]

Very sorry for your loss! I have read many of his posts over the last few years and he always had a tremendous passion for the sport.

[Splitshot115]

Sorry to hear that Wes. He will be greatly missed. Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Scott

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[Gill-T]

I am truly sorry for your loss.  Thanks for sharing.

[Boford]

So sorry for your loss.  You will be in my family's prayers.

[quality time]

Ben put a video on you tube several years back. When I first saw this it brought a tear to my eye and it shows what a positive impact the outdoors can have on kids. Check out "fish through the years." on You Tube Wes Edited October 22, 2014 by quality time

[Gene Shenk]

Very sorry to hear of your loss I am glad you have so many great memories to hold on to. I will pray for you and your family to heal fast and strong so your life will get back to some normalcy which I am sure your son would want.

[58Johnson]

Wes,

So sorry for your loss...

 

To all others...look up the youtube video...it is a must see and says it all.

 

You and Ben are in our prayers.

I think it can be said that you were as blessed to have him as he was to have you.

 

Mark

[lineman49]

Sorry for your loss, our prayers are with you & your family. Keep your memories strong.

[on the lam]

Very sorry for your loss.

[Frogger]

Sorry for your loss Wes. What an incredible son he was. Thanks for sharing that piece of his life with us. I had to watch that video over again. Mike.

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[Sk8man]

Wes - our deepest sympathy goes out to you and your family.  It sounds as though Ben had a full life and that you shared some very enjoyable and important quality time together doing something you both loved. Your post is an inspiration to the rest of us to make the most  of our time together with our loved ones and friends....Thanks for sharing the pics they are real good reminders of what is really important in life. Les

[Big Dave]

Sad news will keep you and your family in our prayers

[quality time]

Ben was real big on getting people started in the sport. I hope to do some kind of derby which would encourage taking kids fishing.

[fishshack]

Wes- Sorry for your loss. It sounds like you got to spent a lot of quality time with Ben. Something tells me that there are a bunch of fish in heaven that will soon have sore lips. God bless you and your family during this difficult time.

[DaveF]

So sorry to hear about your son passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

[jeb1340]

Sorry to hear about your son.  It sounds like you made some wonderful memories. If you decide to do a derby in the future please let all of us know!

[ERABBIT]

Sorry for your lost Wes , when you get ready to do the derby give me  a PM I'll help where every I can.

[skipper19]

Sorry for your loss. I had a best friend who had CF and passed away 33 years ago. We were 25 years old and like your son he was always doing his best to enjoy the outside with me when he could. I still miss the fun we had and he never complained and me either when sometimes I would have to literally carry him through some tough terrain.

Your son lives on in you and you will know he is there some times. God speed to your healing. ...

Mark

Cent frum my notso smart fone

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

So sorry to hear of your loss

[Dick]

Sorry for your loss. from the posts his passing is everyones loss.

[Missdemeanor]

Condolances from the Port Of Rochester. To hear a young man passing at an early age is a tough thing. I'm glad to hear that he was a steward for the enviornment, the outdoors sports, as well as the NYstate Fishery. To say a picture is worth a thousand words is an understatement. A person can tell from the pics that you provided that anyone who had met your son is a better person after.

[rbonnell]

So sorry for your loss

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[stinger]

Sorry for your loss Wes. It's a sad day for all that knew Ben.

[Frisco]

What a sad day, what a shock this is! So sorry about your loss. We have several conversations and Ben was so enthusiastic about the sport.