Obituary of Ben E. Ramsager

Ben Ramsager, 84, of Pittsford and Copenhagen, Denmark, passed away on May 13, 2017. It was while growing up in Copenhagen that he lived through five years of Nazi occupation, which sparked a lifelong interest in WWII history. Ben attained a master's degree in electrical engineering from the prestigious Technical University of Denmark in 1961. In 1966 he left Denmark to work, initially, for General Dynamics and, later, for Xerox. He retired in 1997. A highlight of his career included work in the field of robotics. Ben was a patient, humble, honest, unassuming man, full of good humor and self-deprecation. He was profoundly selfless and faced adversity with calm stoicism. Rather than pursue material gain, he valued an expansion of knowledge and enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. He loved and loved well all things dessert-related. If the worth of a man can be measured in how easily he can make others smile in his company, then Ben can be said to have lived a rich life. Ben leaves behind his wife, Hanne, of 55 years; children, Tom (Amy), Henry (Livia), Michael (Deborah), Kristina (Rich); nine grandchildren, Austin, Kyle, Jackson, Andrew, Carsen, Katherine, Colin, Sean, Sawyer; a sister, Aase, and brother, Poul, both of Denmark. A private family memorial is planned for July.