STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – A beloved member of the Stevens Point community has died after a long battle with cancer. Ben Kollock died from lukemia. A friend said he beat his cancer three times before.
“It’s hard to put Ben into words,” Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza said. “I said it this morning, he’s everything you expected of a human being.”
“He was very active in the legalization of medical marijuana,” Wiza said. “Going through the treatments that was one of the things that gave him some comfort.”
Kollock was a musician, activist, husband and an inspiration to many.
Jacob Nowak and Kollock met when they were teens and held a friendship ever since. Nowak said, he will miss his friend greatly but is grateful he is no longer in pain.
“He’s always that steady person that’s there but he still surprises you sometimes, cause of the outreach he has,” Nowak said. “He cares so much that he’ll touch a million people. I’m only one story he’s probably done the same for countless other people.”
The city plans to honor Kollock’s memory in the future, potentially planting a tree or a pollinator garden to reflect his love of nature.
