of Hot Springs, AR
April 1, 1945 - April 6, 2021
Benjamin Edward Best, 76, of Hot Springs received his heavenly reward on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
He was a retired ordained pastor of the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee and an active member of the Church of God of Prophecy, Hot Springs. He loved preaching, gardening, cooking, painting and hosting gatherings. He will be greatly missed.
Ben is survived by his beloved wife, Oteka Magouyrk Best of Hot Springs, whom he married on September 7, 1963; daughter, Rebecca Best of Los Angeles, California; siblings, Bill, Chuck, Mary Best Reyes and their families; Aunt, Ruby Wilson, and countless cousins, nieces and nephews, and friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Melvin Lee Best; and one sister, Rebecca Best.
Graveside services will be held Friday, April 9, 2021 at 2 pm with Pastor LaFoy Parker and Pastor Bill Dunahoo officiating at Locust Grove Cemetery under the direction of Roller Crouch Funeral Home of Batesville.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Locust Grove Cemetery, c/o Kenny Gerhardt, 280 N. Eight St., Batesville, Arkansas, 72501.
So sorry to here of Ben’s passing Oketa I just came across this today. He really helped me when I first started living for the Lord, and I am very thankful for that. God bless you praying for you.
Mrs Oteka & Rebecca,
We want you to know, that we loved your husband, dad. Mr Ben, was and is AMAZING person. He was one of the few kindest souls, we have ever met. He had such a tranquil voice. May our Heavenly Father, bless you with the assurance that he is with his Heavenly Family, waiting for all his family and friends to see him. Families are forever. We pray for you and your family. Christ lives. Cherise those special moments. Oteka & Rebecca , Stay strong!
Dearest Oteka and Rebecca thinking of you with heartfelt sympathy. Asking God to surrounds you with His precious love. We have had many blessed times with both of you. May his peace and comfort surround you.
Please know how many people love you and are praying for you.
Oteka and Rebecca,
Ben is such a special person to our family and will be missed deeply. His stories and words will live in our hearts forever. It was a beautiful service celebrating his life and rejoicing in God’s word. We will continue to pray for you both in this time of healing. Love you both.
Pastor Rebecca and Pastor Oteka, we are so sorry for your loss. A truly fine man of God has now earned his eternal reward. We are holding you close in prayer.
I know that God is close to the brokenhearted and that He will be your comforter and the ultimate Prince of Peace. Can you imagine all that he gets to paint now!
Dearest Oteka & Rebecca,
My heart breaks with you both as you Mourn the loss of your husband, Oteka and the loss of your Dad, Rebecca. My prayers are with you both. May you both feel and know our Heavenly Father's Warm Embrace.
May His Steadfast Peace hold you and your family steady.
Warmly,
Angie R.
We will greatly miss Pastor Ben Best and are privileged to have known him. We will continue to pray for Pastor Oteka and Pastor Rebecca. May the Lord give you great comfort and peace during this difficult time.
My prayers are with you and your Mom.
Love you bothðŸ™â™¥ï¸
With deepest felt condolences at this difficult time for your family. We hold you up in our prayers. God bless you
Sincerely Scott +Betty Barker
Dearest Oteka and Rebecca thinking of you with heartfelt sympathy. Asking God to surrounds you with His precious love. May his peace comforts you as you grieve the loss of Pastor Ben. His visits to Hawthorne Foursquare Church will truly be missed. â¤ï¸ðŸ™ðŸ½
Oteka and Rebecca - We so appreciate the time you were with us here in our congregation. You were such a blessing.
May the Lord bless you and bless you real good.
With great love
Jim and Linda
I’m so sorry oteka and Becky I know we only talked on Birthdays or holidays both of us busy in our own families But he was my oldest brother and I’m going to miss him. Love and prayers to the both of you.
Oteka and Rebecca, it is with great sorrow that we learned about our brother Ben's passing. Our hearts truly go out to you and ache for you because we can't even imagine being in the place where you are. We truly would love to be there ⤠for Ben's services and for both of you, but found that impossible. We were looking forward to heading this summer to Arkansas to visit you, Oteka, and Ben.
Oteka and Rebecca we love you, we are remembering you and praying for you often throughout the present days, and will continue 🙠⤠in the days to come. May the Lord cradle and comfort each of you in His loving arms. Till we meet again...
Oteka and Becki,
Steve and I miss Ben so much already.
Our kids loved him and hold great respect for him too.
He left a great legacy.
He was a great storyteller. Through his stories he kept us connected with our loved ones that have gone on before us.
We treasure those memories.
Ben was the one that the family called on for marriages, funerals, financial advice, spiritual wisdom, prayer and life matters in general. He has been a gifted source of encouragement to us all.
Thank you Ben for loving us so much and being there for us all.
Oteka and Becki,
We know that there is now a big hole in your lives where Ben was and it can never be filled in this present world until being reunited in heaven.
But remember, we love you so much and are here for you always.
Love, Steve and Sue
Ben was greatly loved by me.
We grew up together and I will miss him.
Ben was a great example to his family, including me.
I love you Oteka and Becki.
Aunt Ruby
Oteka and Rebecca, We are so sorry for your loss and wish we could be with you tomorrow. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
My deepest condolences to the family of this truly good man. Sending many prayers for healing and peace in the days to come.
Oteka, words can't describe just how sorry that I was to get this news. Brandon, Jennifer and the boys were just crazy about Ben, and you. They were so happy to hear all of the stories that he told about family, and it made them feel like they still had a connection with Charles. God be with you through this and we are here for you.
Oteka, There are no words to express what Ben meant to us. Krishelle and family, Brandon and family and myself are all heartbroken but we know he is rejoicing in Heaven. You both have been such a blessing to us over the short time you came into our lives but at a time we needed you the most. My prayers are with you, your daughter and all the family. May God wrap his loving arms around each of you bringing peace and comfort. With love and heartfelt sympathy!