Benjamin "Ben" John Toso

Benjamin John Toso was born in Douglas County, Alexandria MN on February 17th, 1982 to Robert and Kellie (O'Brien) Toso. He was baptized at First Lutheran Church in Alexandria MN. He attended kindergarten in Alexandria, and after the family relocated to CA, Ben attended 1st and 2nd grade in Redlands CA. The family then moved to Murfreesboro TN in 1988. He attended Christiana School and then Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, graduating in the year 2000.

Ben was precocious and lovingly mischievous from the start. He always had a lot of energy and was walking by 10 months old, and would never take a nap. Among many memories, we remember when he would grab the cordless phone (which he was told not to touch) and run away, laughing and throwing it just before you could catch him. He also locked his dad out of the house in his underwear on a cold snowy day when he went out to the porch to get the newspaper, laughing excitedly when his angry father pounded on the door and told him to unlock it. He loved practical jokes and surprising people, this was true right up until his passing.

Ben was a selfless person, always helping others even to his own detriment. If you were struggling he would give you the shirt off his back or make a loan or phone payment for you. That's just who he was. He didn't care much about material things at all.

Ben loved to cook, and would come up with the fanciest recipes with obscure ingredients and everything he made came out delicious. He had a great sense of humor and a unique ability to show you a perspective you had not thought of before.

Ben spent most of his adult life in TN, but did return to MN and spent several years there with his father and cousin's. He was big on family, and visited his Aunt Mary and grandparents in California nearly every year. Anyone who knew him or met him liked him. He was just that way.

Ben passed away on November 16th, 2021 at age 39. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, John and Rose O'Brien, and paternal grandmother Joanne Toso. He is survived by his mother Kellie Toso (Jeff) Pinkston of Woodbury TN, his father Robert (Kathy) Toso of Princeton MN, grandfather John (Tami) Toso of Green Valley AZ and two siblings, Paige Toso of Murfreesboro TN and Jenna Toso and her son Theo Toso of Woodbury TN. Aunt Mary (Juan) Sanchez and their daughter Cassidy, Aunt Kathy (Bob) Holper and their children Nick and Stacy, Uncles David (Karyn) Toso and their children Erika and Jarek, Uncles Daniel O'Brien and Terry (Vicki) O'Brien and their daughters Katya and Randee and many second cousins, friends and loved ones.'

Memorial services will be Sunday, December 12, 2021 at 3 pm in the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home with Bro. Ray Patrick officiating. Visitation with his family will follow from 3:30 pm until 7:00 pm.