Benedict Henry Kartes was born on April 22, 1936, in Mount Carmel, North Dakota. He was the sixth of twelve children born to Frank and Olive Kartes. His brother Lee Kartes of Colorado is his last surviving sibling. Ben enjoyed his childhood on the farm, where he learned a strong work ethic and became a gifted mechanic. In 1959 he married the love of his life, Marie Ledoux, and they moved to SeaTac, WA to start a family of their own. With help from Marie’s dad, Ben built their home in 1962 and lived there for the rest of his days. Ben and Marie have two children, son Craig Kartes (Nancy) and daughter Kathi Adams (Don). They loved camping, fishing, large extended family gatherings and road trips including going to North Dakota to visit family.

Ben’s quiet demeanor belied his mischievous spirit, but you could glimpse it in the twinkle in his eye. He was kind and generous; the guy you called when you needed help fixing something, needed advice, or just needed a friend. He was an avid vegetable gardener and some of his best days were those spent tinkering in his tool shop - when he built their home, he built the shop first! Ben worked as a mechanic for Howard Cooper / Triad Machinery for 38 years. The highlight of his career was when they sent him to Liberia, Africa to work on heavy equipment for a few weeks in 1976.

Grandchildren Spencer, Kienyn (Monica), Drew, Alex, Kili (Josh), Ryan (Katie) and Katie adored their Papa. The family gathered often for meals together followed by ferocious games of Wizard where Papa quietly trounced everyone. Ben had a soft spot for dogs and had a special bond with grand-dog Griffey.

On June 29, 2025, a beautiful blue-sky morning, Ben’s life ended the way he lived it, with quiet dignity as he slipped peacefully into the arms of the Lord with Marie by his side. We were blessed to know and love him, and we will miss him.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bellevue Botanical Garden Society or the Seattle Humane Society.