Benjamin Franklin Stephens III

KENNEBUNKPORT – Benjamin Franklin Stephens III, known to many as Dad, Daddy-O, Husband, Grandpop, Pop Pop, Benny Boy, brother, uncle, and friend, passed away at home in Kennebunkport, on Sept. 24, 2025, at the age of 88, with family by his side.

Born on Jan. 5, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pa., to Maria Carmella Mendillo and Benjamin Franklin Stephens, Ben grew up with a strong sense of curiosity, wit, and resilience. He attended Girard College, where he not only received a top-notch education but also formed friendships that lasted his entire life.

Family meant everything to Ben. He is survived by his son, Benjamin Franklin Stephens IV, and his wife, Cathy (Brennan), and their two children, Erin and Kerry; his son, Kevin Stephens, and his wife, Sally (O’Gara), and their three children, Caitlen Herring and her husband, Justin, Anna, and Morgan and her fiancé, Simran Singh; four great-grandchildren; his daughter, Helen (Stephens) Leach, and her husband, Kevin, and their two children, Nicholas and Matthew; and his son, Brendan Stephens. He is also survived by his first wife, Alice (Gillespie) Stephens.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his second wife, Anita (Grant) Stephens; and his sister, Lynne (Stephens) Bell.

Ben’s life spanned many places — from Philadelphia, Pa. to New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and finally Maine — but wherever he lived, he built community. In Kennebunkport, he became known at the Graves Memorial Public Library, where he freely offered tax help to neighbors. He was the kind of man who showed up, whether with a kind word, a good story, or a treat made with blueberries from his backyard bushes.

He had passions that painted the picture of his days: traveling Europe and the States, with America’s National Parks being at the top of his list, collecting coins, stamps, and baseball memorabilia, cheering for his football teams, attending theater and playing cards with friends around town. He loved a good Philly Cheesesteak and dining out (the Lobster Club on the Arundel Wharf deck was a fave) and enjoyed cooking — his Sunday breakfasts after Mass were amazing. And if you ever made him a Manhattan, you’d better have not made it too sweet.

Those who knew him will remember not just what he did, but how he lived: with humor, warmth, and an openness to connection.

A celebration of Ben’s life, his “Going Away Party,” as he liked to call it, will be held on Oct. 18, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at The Pilot House, 2 Harbor Lane, Kennebunk.

In his honor, raise a glass, tell a story, and, if you’re able, support a cause close to your heart.

If you’d like a suggestion, please consider a donation to the Graves Memorial Public Library in Kennebunkport or to Hospice of Southern Maine, which cared for Ben with such compassion in his final days. His family is deeply grateful to them.