I had the honor and priviledge of knowing a phenomenal individual, whose professional life mimicked the passion he showed as a friend and fellow Toastmaster. We lost a much respected and appreciated Toastmaster when we lost Ben Strout this past April, a member of Castleton Toastmasters for over five years.

I didn't make Ben's funeral and for that I will be forever sad. But I will never forget the contributions he made to help improve my life with his direct and unsympathetic speech evaluations and his viewpoint on leading a full life.

I will miss Ben and I know all of my fellow Toastmasters will miss Ben as well. His loss is felt at every single meeting, every week.

Here are some more links about Ben:

Ben's Documentary - Fire & Ice - Wikipedia
Fire & Ice Interview
WishTV 8 - Local documentary filmmaker dies