05/28/2026
Over the course of 40 years of Bradford Built, we have met, worked with, and became friends with many people. Naturally, in any group, there are some that become closer. We were privileged to meet Ben Goeckle nearly 20 years ago when he joined the shop. Over the years, Ben became a very close friend. Dedicated to building a great product and being a coworker everyone called a friend. Ben has a huge heart, but his heart gave him troubles for years. When Ben was in Kansas City for a major overhaul on his heart, his mom called me asking me to “talk some sense into Ben”. He was going into major heart surgery and had preloaded a dip of to***co for the time on the operating table. True Ben. Still makes me laugh. As time passed, it was clear he would always be burdened with heart issues. I moved him mostly to the farm where he took care of cows and all the things under the role of a ranch hand. He would give it all to save a sick calf, he knew everything about every cow, and always carried his notebook in his shirt pocket with the history of all the cows. On the 23rd of May, we lost Ben to a collision on the road in front of his house. We lost Ben that day, but we will never forget him. Honest. Big Hearted. Kind. Generous to a fault. Even an honorary Papa. Just like everyone that’s ever known Ben, I’m proud to have known him and called him my friend.