It is with broken hearts that the family of Bennett Denis Gordon Killam announce his sudden passing the morning of June 5th, 2024 at the age of 18 years old.
Bennett has left all who loved him shaken to the core.
Bennett is a treasured brother, son, cousin, nephew, grandson, and an adored
friend to many. Bennett was born on a rainy Wednesday morning at the High
River Hospital, under the compassionate care of Dr. Makhdoom. Bennett grew
up on the Coal Trail under big blue Alberta skies with the mountains to the west
and the prairies to the east. His young life was spent at the 4K Ranch playing with
his sisters and cousins, building lego, playing with tractors, playing in
the Highwood River, riding horses, driving the gator, and going to family
gatherings at the Lake and at the Big House.
Bennett attended school in Okotoks. He had dedicated teachers and made
many lifelong friends. In high school, he developed a passion for welding
due to Mr. Virgil Green’s innate ability to connect and mentor his students.
This profound impact led Bennett to begin his welding apprenticeship in
July 2023. Bennett was a dedicated employee at KC Landscaping, Alstar
and B & B Welding. In each of these jobs he worked long days, came
home with the day’s work imprinted all over him and literally burned
through every Carhartt sweater he owned. He loved to tell the story of
his day, and was proud of the trust his employers placed in his abilities.
All winter long, Bennett could be found skiing in Fernie with Team
Extreme, always happy to let mom catch up to him for cold burgers at
lunch. The best run of the day was fresh tracks down the center of Sky
Dive. Bennett’s summers were spent driving tractors, tubing at the Lake
and messing around in boats at Gambier Island.
Over the years, Bennett was under the exceptional care of the staff at
the Alberta Children’s Hospital. He loved his nurses Angela and Ellen,
Dr. Lewis, Dr. Steele, Dr. Yunker, Dr. Ells, and especially Dr. Waterhouse.
Bennett’s bone marrow donor, Lena Schmidt, and her family Angelika,
Bernd and Timo became part of Bennett’s family on October 3, 2013.
Bennett cherished The Schmidt’s visit to Canada in 2016 and a family trip
to Germany, France and the Netherlands in 2022.
Bennett loved taking Lucie and Maeve to Covet, McDonald’s and Tim’s,
rolling coal in his straight piped Dodge truck, fixing his Dodge truck,
helping his dad in the fields, moving cows on horseback, wrestling with
friends at brandings, quilting with his mom, running the dogs with the
quad, going out with cousins and friends, taking in car shows, GTing with
the quad, finding the best deals on facebook marketplace, wakeboarding,
ski days, making popcorn for his family, welding the most beautiful
projects, eating honey nut cheerios and milk and going for treats and
meals with his grandparents. He was known for his beautiful smile, warm
hugs and generous heart. He was kind to everyone he met, offering a
helping hand to neighbors and grandparents and was determined to
teach everyone he knew how to drive a stick shift.
Bennett will live forever in the hearts of his loving parents, Darren and
Christine Killam; his sisters Lucie and Maeve Killam; his grandparents:
Denis and Monique Prud’homme, Rick and Pam Killam; his aunts and
uncles: Kris and Jane Swinton, Caeri Killam, David and Teresa Lendrum;
and his cousins: Sophie and Gabe Swinton; Erik, Brady and Sawyer Killam
Enstrom; and Mike, Kate and Beth Lendrum; as well as extended family
and dear friends.
Bennett believed that we could live without him. As much as we reject
his confidence in us, we will draw strength from his faith in us to carry
on without him. We will heal, we will laugh, we will cry and we will thrive
but life without our boy will never be the same. He will live on in the small
of our hearts, a powder day at Fernie, a loud truck and every time we
continue to gather as a family without him.
Services were held at the 4K Ranch on Thursday, June 13, 2024 at 4pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Bone
Marrow Transplant Program at the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
To email condolences, please visit snodgrassfuneralhomes.com.
Arrangements are in the care of Snodgrass Funeral Homes.
403-938-3111
