Born in 1948 in Nashville, Tennessee, Ben graduated high school in Richmond, Virginia, where he set the Virginia state high school record in the mile of 4:14.2. While Ben earned his bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1971, he also merited national recognition as small college All-American in track and cross country.
Ben’s engineering education led to a successful thirteen year career in the defense industry as a Computer Aided Manufacturing engineer. He then joined Alcon Laboratories as a senior engineer in their Intraocular lens manufacturing facilities.
Back surgery and the need for a liver transplant forced Ben to retire as Senior Director of Engineering at Alcon’s Huntington, West Virginia plant in at age sixty.
Ben received the gift of liver transplant in 2008 and now lives in Phoenix with his wife of forty years Robinn Miller Wilson. Thanks to Ben’s transplant, the couple continues to enjoy their two daughters and four grandchildren.
Ben’s athletic background gives him natural attraction to Transplant Team Arizona, Inc. He has earned six gold medals, a silver and a bronze in the US Transplant Games.
He served as Treasurer for the Transplant Team from 2013 until 2017 and is a Director on the Board of Transplant Community Alliance. In 2019, he was elected Treasurer for the Alliance.
Ben also contributes time for Donate Life Arizona. When not busy with his numerous volunteer activities, Ben can be found on the tennis court vigorously enjoying another benefit of his donated liver
