Obituaries

Benjamin Harling

08/20/1953 - 11/27/2020

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Obituary For Benjamin Harling

Graveside Service for Mr. Benjamin Harling will be held on December 9thth at 11am at Florida National Cemetery.

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  • 01/14/2023

    Well, it is hard to explain why I just found out about my brother dying in motorcycle accident. I came home from college after my freshman year and Ben was working on a Sportster, bored it out to 1000cc. He was seventeen. He said get on it and go. Well, I was used to a 450cc Honda and when I throttled down the torque nearly threw me off the rear end. My brother was one of a kind. He was Florida All State baseball and a draft choice for the Reds. He was extremely smart and could have been anything. He loved scoots. We rode quite a bit together. He was a mechanic for a couple of the gangs in St. Pete. He was independent and the best mechanic around. As we were estranged after our mother died, I often thought about the good times fishing out of Ozello and Homosassa. He had a lot of issues throughout his life, but he was always a scene stealer lighting up the room with his personal magnetism and charm. There is no doubt. Big Ben was one of a kind. He was a tough hard headed individual. I wish I could have been at his funeral. God rest your soul my brother. Brother L. Harling

  • 12/09/2020

    I met Jamin when I was hired in SEP 2016 at Lakeland H-D as a service advisor. One of my duties was to ensure that the coffee urns were filled with coffee first thing in the morning and thru out the day. Jamin was one of the reasons why. I noticed he would come in a couple days a week and grab a cuppa. Heaven help me if there was none available as he would let me know albeit in a nice manner. Then one day I noticed his waist belt had a paratrooper badge on it. I asked him about it and found out that we shared a bond as we both served in the 82D Airborne. From that day forward, he didn't seem so scary anymore (lol). Then I moved to the Parts department and we talked more because I turned out to be his go to parts person. Whether he came in with Earl or his little man, it always a pleasure to assist him. Talking to him about motorcycles was like talking to a walking service manual. We shared a little back and forth where I assisted him and then he would pass me a dollar or two in the shape of those paper footballs we used to play with back in elementary school. I tried to tell him that I couldn't accept it but he wasn't trying to hear that. He would tell me to get myself a soda pop or something. So then it became a contest to see if I could serve him without him sneaking it into my hand. But it didn't matter, he would leave it on the counter and walk off (lol). I will miss this back and forth with him but most of all, I will miss being able to talk with another Jumpmaster about anything and everything. Anyone who has served in the 82D knows that Jumpmasters don't die, we slip away. Until we meet again, keep your knees in the breeze. I pray that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ will keep your family in His loving arms during this time of sorrow.

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