Dixie - My sincere condolences and prayers to your loved one’s departed soul. Wishing that you have all the strengths during these difficult times - Mustufa
Mustufa Saifee
In Loving Memory
Benjamin Joseph Sokolow
1964•2026
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Obituary
Benjamin "Ben" Joseph Sokolow, age 62, of Draper, Utah, passed away from glioblastoma on Monday, October 5, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.
Ben was born on January 18th, 1964, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Joseph and Evelyn Sokolow. He grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, along with his brother, Jeff, and younger sister, Wendy. As the eldest, he enjoyed teaching his siblings new things, and his propensity for laughter often led to teaming up with Jeff for good-hearted older brother pranks on Wendy. Ben’s early independence and innate curiosity for engineering and scholarship led him to pursue an opportunity at Regis High School in New York City (a one-hour commute by train and bus!) where he received an incomparable Jesuit education and developed lifelong friends.
Ben earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1986. Following graduation, he worked for three years as an engineer at Mitre before achieving a lifelong dream of joining the Navy and becoming a pilot. He had the privilege of flying jets (including A-4s and F-14s) and became part of a tight-knit community. During his military career, he serendipitously met and fell in love with his future wife, Dixie Harris.
After five years in naval service, Ben was honorably discharged and returned to engineering by starting his company, Check Six Technologies, with a focus on the emerging field of data and analytics. Ben and Dixie were married in 1996 in Virginia Beach, VA. Shortly after, they moved to Oil City, Pennsylvania, where he helped start and manage Dixie’s pulmonary practice. In Pennsylvania, the couple welcomed the two most important people in Ben’s life: his daughters Valerie and Annelise, born in 2000 and 2002, respectively. A few years later, Ben and Dixie’s “blue skies adventures” began when they moved to Utah, where Ben joined the Electronic Data Warehouse (EDW) team at Intermountain Healthcare as a healthcare data analyst in 2006 and continued his pursuit of knowledge by earning his MS in Statistics from the University of Utah in 2011.
After more than 15 years of working in Utah, Ben took a year-long sabbatical where he honed his life’s purpose and goals before being recruited to join CDW as a healthcare strategist - his favorite job of all time. In this role, Ben savored the opportunity to learn and teach the ins and outs of AI and its uses in healthcare, but the biggest perk was all of the traveling he got to do! He was thrilled to attend conferences and give presentations and continued to work even six months after his brain cancer diagnosis.
Ben believed in giving back to the community. Ben served as a board member and Vice Chair of the Visiting Nurses Association of Western Pennsylvania, volunteered as team leader for LEGO League at Saint John the Baptist Middle School for five years, and offered his time at the COVID-19 drive-in vaccine clinic in Park City.
Ben had several passions including cooking (he famously almost never used a recipe), bike riding (he amassed a stable with 11 bikes of all varieties), skiing, hiking, trail running (he loved Round Valley in Park City most), and quoting movies (“If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball”). However, one of Ben’s most special passions was coffee and visiting coffee shops. In fact, three local shops kept a "to-stay mug" set aside specifically for him. When asked for a coffee shop recommendation, he could list the three most proximal shops with specific details such as which had the best atmosphere or seating. This was a communal passion for Ben, and he loved it when others joined him for coffee at a shop or local diner.
Being a father was very important to Ben. He strove to instill curiosity and mentor his daughters, Valerie and Annelise, to be lifelong learners; he always emphasized that they could do anything or be anyone.
Ben is survived by his wife, Dixie; his daughters, Valerie and Annelise; his mother and stepfather, Evelyn Sokolow and Gerald Solokas; his siblings and their partners: Jeffrey Sokolow, Maria Marks, Wendy Caldwell (née Sokolow) and Christopher Caldwell; his nephews Joseph, Brian, and Reilly; and his niece Lucinda.
Ben was preceded in death by his father, Joseph Sokolow.
His vigil will be held 6:00 - 8:00 pm on October 16, 2026, at Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy, Utah. A funeral Mass will be held for him at 10:00 am on October 17 at St. John the Baptist Church in Draper, Utah. There will be a viewing preceding Mass at 9:00 am. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Regis High School in New York City - Regis High School - A Catholic, Jesuit School for Boys in New York City.
To watch the live stream, click the "watch services" button. The live stream will begin a half hour prior to Mass. You can watch the service by clicking the "live" tab and waiting for Ben's name to appear, or look for the red circle around the church logo.
From Ben:
“Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.” - John Lennon
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Tributes
Dixie, I only met Benjamin once over the camera at TCC and what a delightful, friendly, upbeat person in the face of adversity he was! His obituary talks about a man that loved his family and life and I could see that. My heart goes out to you and you girls during this time. May you find peace with each other. Kari (and Gordon)
Kari Calton
I met Ben when I was in my 20s and dating his Regian friend, Joe Ryan, who I later married. Ben had an uncanny amount in common with my late father. Both had single mothers, received a Jesuit education, were Marine fighter pilots, worked at MITRE, had 2 daughters, loved the outdoors, and enjoyed many years with a beloved family. They both lived and planned their lives with the intent of living them to the fullest... and that they did.
Although Ben's life was cut short, the years he did have were extraordinary with a variety of adventures, professions, hobbies, and apparently coffees. "Variety is the spice of life." May his legacy of living intentionally continue on through all the lives he touched and his memories be cherished.
With love and support from the Ryan family
Heather Vickers Ryan
Dixie, I was so sorry to hear about Ben's passing. Although I never had the chance to meet him, reading about his life made it clear what an extraordinary person he was, and how deeply he loved his family. Please accept my sincere condolences to you, Valerie, Annelise, and all who loved him. Wishing you comfort, strength, and peace in the days ahead.
Marius Gota
Wendy and Family,
Our deepest condolences for your loss. You are all in our prayers.
Love,
Patrick, Melissa and Will
Patrick Boyton
Dixie, Valerie and Anneliese
I am sorry for your loss. My sincere condolences. May Heavenly Father give you comfort while you deal with the pain.
Giovani Corona
Dear Dixie, Val and Ann,
Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult and sorrowful time. Ben was a wonderful human being. We will forever cherish our time with him and you all both in Franklin, PA and Park City. Skiing together and enjoying dinner and good conversations are some of our fondest memories. May your beautiful memories of dear Ben sustain you and give you joy. With love and hugs,
Julie and David
Julie and David McCandless
I had the pleasure of meeting Ben while we stayed at the same hotel during our HIMSS conference in Chicago. What started as a casual coworker conversation get to be a true bonding in the coming days. Ben and I discussed a lot of topics around Tech and Healthcare and life experiences. He was proud of his family and very proud of the work he was doing! An amazing person and too soon to leave! May his soul rest in peace and pray the almighty to give the family the strength and my deepest condolences.
Kali Chithambaram CDW
Dixie, I am So very sorry to have learned of the passing of Ben. The love and support from him to you and the girls has been so exemplary ! What an amazing man, mentor , husband, and father.. my sincerest condolences to you and your family!
Wendie Dunaway
Condolences, from a fellow Regian.
Carlo de Luna
Dixie and Girls,
We are deeply saddened by your loss. We had many fun times when you lived in Franklin. I always think of you when I’m tempted to get my “Wooter” up ! It’s been a long time since we saw you regularly but we appreciated your yearly holiday cards and family pictures. We watched your cute daughters grow into beautiful women. We hope the memories of happier times as a family help to ease this burden during this very sad time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Fondly
Niki and Doug
Niki and Doug
Condolences from a fellow Regian.
Joe Peiser - Regis 1982
Dixie, Val, & Annelise,
We are so sorry for your loss. What a wonderful man! Ben was always so giving of his time with SJBMS & Lego League. He loved being with you girls, and loved sharing his technology knowledge with the students at SJBMS. It was always nice to see Ben at Beans & Brews over the years and catch up on how everyone was doing! We are grateful to have the honor of knowing him. May God be with you all!
Sincerely,
Connie & David Waung
Connie & David Waung
Dixie, I am so sorry for your loss. Some of my best memories are of the good times we all shared together. Ben was such a fun guy, no matter what we were doing.
Two memories especially stand out. One was stopping at a Wawa in New Jersey while we were flying back. A girl asked Ben if he was a pilot, and in true Ben fashion, he took off his aviator sunglasses with a turn of his head and said, “Well, yes. Yes, I am.” And my absolute favorite: the Army boots on the golf course!
I’ll always treasure those memories and the laughter we shared. Thinking of you and your family.
Love Dave!
Dave Ballard
Our hearts go out to Dixie, Valerie, and Annelise during this difficult time. May you find comfort in the love that surrounds you, in the memories you hold close, and in the lasting impact Ben had on the lives of those who knew him.
Ben will be greatly missed, but he will not be forgotten. May his memory always bring warmth to your hearts.
The Kaiser Family
Our heartfelt sympathies go out to your family during this time. We are very sorry for your loss. He was an amazing man and accomplished so much in his lifetime. Prayers for you all.
Bill, Karen, Maggie, and Meghan Davis
Dixie, Valerie and Annelise,
It is with profound sadness to hear of Ben's passing. While we miss him tremendously, his memory, smile and laugh will be with us forever. It was an honor to serve with him in the Navy, and a privilege to be a friend. It is comforting to know that God called him home away from this earthly suffering, and we look forward to the day we will meet again in heaven.
Scott & Renee White
Ben was so full of life … a special man … my condolences
Fred Lynch
Regis ‘82
Fred Lynch
I had the privilege of working with Ben for 4 years on the EDW team at Intermountain Healthcare. In fact, our cubicles were right next to each other. Ben was exceptionally kind and helpful to me as a new member of the team, and was a mentor to me in many ways. It was mainly due to his knowledge and expertise with the standard ETL tool, IBM DataStage, a tool notorious for having little to no documentation, that I was able to come up to speed in a relatively short amount of time. Many years have passed since we worked together but we kept in touch and met for lunch a couple of times to reconnect. His passing is a shock to me, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and daughters, and extended family. Ben was an exceptional human being and he will be missed by many people whose lives were touched by his. May his memory be a blessing to all who knew him.
Martin Miller
My heartfelt condolences to you.
Ben was such a wonderful person.
He was one of my first true friends at Regis and was such an inspiration to me. I will always remember him as a brilliant, funny and energetic man and I am grateful to have known him. God Bless🙏
Terry McGovern
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