Benjamin Arthur Laws III

Benjamin Arthur Laws III of Austin, Texas, passed away peacefully at 11:11 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2015, following a courageous 11-month battle with brain cancer. He was 44 years old.

He was born in Stanford, Calif., on April 7, 1971. He loved water, music, animals, solving puzzles, Halloween, mountains, biking, hiking, camping and being outside, especially in natural areas. He was very kind-hearted and often lent a helping hand to those in need. He had a witty sense of humor and a keen eye for art. Over the course of his life, he cared for many pets, including a rabbit, parakeets, cats and dogs. He is survived by his cat, Timmy (9) and dog, Tika (7). His dog, Tapado (17), who began having seizures shortly after Benjamin's first seizue on Oct. 9, 2014, was put to rest shortly after his death.

Throughout his life he brought joy to many with his musical creations. He had a powerful singing voice and played many instruments, including guitar, drums, trombone, bass and keyboard. He played trombone in marching band, jazz band and symphonic band while attending Marcus High School in Flower Mound, graduating in 1989. In 1996, he received a bachelor of science degree in computer engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Later that year he moved to Austin and begn a long stretch of employment with the University of Texas (UT) as a computer engineer in various departments. From 2000-2004 he lived in the Davis Mountains of west Texas while working at the McDonald Observtory, where he also served as a volunteer firefighter. He also enjoyed volunteering at the annual Austin Powwow and helping the homeless.

In 2006, as his younger cousin Jeromy Reddig was battling cancer, he moved to Billings to be with him and his family during the final stages of his life. Some time after Jeromy's passing, he moved back to Austin. In 2013, he spent long stretches of time in northeastern Montana to be with his grandma Mary Reddig during the final stages of her life. He continued working for UT while he was in Montana, and nearly until the end of his life.

Survivors include his parents, Ben and Kathy Laws, of Flower Mound, Texas; and a sister, Becca Hanna, of Austin, all of whom were present with him when he died.

Internment will take place Saturday, Aug. 20, at 5 p.m. in the Lustre Mennonite Brethren Church Cemetery. A celebration of his life will be held Sunday, Aug. 21, from 5 p.m. until dark at the Kiwanis Park Shelter #1 in Fort Peck. The family wishes to invite all who knew Ben to attend both events.

Donations in his honor may be made to Austin Pets Alive (http://www.austinpetsalive.org), Doctors Without Borders (http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org), and Austin Powwow & Native American Festival (http://www.austinpowwow.net).