Benjamin David Salisbury

Benjamin David Salisbury, born July 19, 2010, left this world and returned home to his Heavenly Father on January 30, 2025. We miss Ben dearly, but the memory of his laughter, his joy, his faith and his love will be with us forever. As a family, we want to let everyone know that we are so grateful to the immense outpouring of love and support and can’t even begin to thank everyone enough for all that they’ve done. We know that you all loved Ben too and we’re grateful for that.

Ben entered this world full of energy and love. He smiled early as a baby and everyone he met instantly fell in love with him. His parents, Jared (46) and Tina (46) Salisbury, loved that he always wanted to cuddle and be held close. As Ben grew, he loved his siblings with all his heart. Aidan (20) was his hero – he wanted to be just like his big brother when he grew up. Ashleigh (19) loved to play with him and make videos with him. She made him laugh and laugh with their antics. Abigail (17) was his fierce protector. She would always check on him and make sure he was safe. She loved to play whatever game Ben wanted to play and give him hugs. His younger sister, Kennedy (10) was his best friend. He took all that love that he had been given and made sure she felt the same. They were inseparable, always plotting some caper, or watching silly YouTube videos, or ambushing their Mom with hugs.

Ben loved everyone. Ben never left the house without telling us he loved us. He had so many friends that he loved dearly – he would do anything to help a friend. Ben would rather tell stories about a friend’s accomplishments than talk about himself. He shone with the light of Christ and people could see it; so many were drawn to him because he just wanted everyone to know how they were loved. He brought so much joy to so many, and we’ll forever be grateful for that.

Ben loved to laugh. No one could tell a joke quite like Ben – he would start giggling before the joke was out and could barely deliver a punchline. Ben always wanted everyone around him to be happy and he loved to make others laugh and laugh with them. He had milk come out of his nose more than once as he was laughing hysterically. His smile was infectious and his laugh even more so.  

Ben’s friends meant the world to him. Whether it was playing video games and yelling over discord, inviting everyone over for pizza night, or just playing a round of Uno, Ben wanted to spend time with people. He loved to tell stories and giggle and be a great friend. He loved to include everyone he could in everything. Ben had the most fun when everyone around him was having fun. He loved each of his friends – he always wanted them to be happy and have a great time.  

Ben had strong faith. He talked often of following his brother Aidan’s example and serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He studied his scriptures diligently and loved to read together as a family. He asked a lot of questions, but also thought deeply about what he studied. He loved his Young Mens quorums at the Hyland Lake Ward and loved his leaders. We know Ben had a testimony of Jesus Christ because he shared it with us.  

More than anything else, Ben loved his family. Everyone in the family was his Best Friend. He had special handshakes with his Mom. He loved to play games with Kennedy. He cheered louder than anyone at Abby’s volleyball games. He swapped Dad jokes with Ashleigh so they could laugh uproariously. He wanted to be just like Aidan, his hero. He always told his Dad how much he loved him and let me tell him my best stories and he’d laugh every time.  

We miss Ben so much. We all loved him with everything we had. We don’t know why this terrible tragedy occurred, but we know that he is with his Father in Heaven, and his Elder Brother Jesus Christ, and with so many family members on the other side of the veil. We know that he is so loved and we know that he is free from the pain that he carried. We know he’s waiting for us and that he’ll be doing everything he can to watch out for all of us still here on earth. We know that we will see him again and that we will be an eternal family together.

A viewing will be held on Friday, February 7, 2025, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Salt Lake Cottonwood Stake Center (1250 E. Murray Holladay Rd. Salt Lake City, UT 84117). An additional viewing will be held the following day, Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 10:00 - 11:45 am with the funeral service at 12 Noon all at the stake center. Interment will be held at Larkin Sunset Gardens (1950 E. 10600 So. Sandy, UT 84092).