Benji McComas - 12/14/2025

01/25/1998 – 12/14/2025

Cleveland, Ohio

“Every society needs heroes. And every society has them. The reason we don’t often see them is because we don’t bother to look.

There are two kinds of heroes. Heroes who shine in the face of great adversity, who perform an amazing feat in a difficult situation. And heroes who live among us, who do their work unceremoniously, unnoticed by many of us, but who make a difference in the lives of others.

Heroes are selfless people who perform extraordinary acts. The mark of heroes is not necessarily the result of their action, but what they are willing to do for others and for their chosen cause. Even if they fail, their determination lives on for others to follow. The glory lies not in the achievement, but in the sacrifice.”

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Benjamin A. McComas, age 27, died Sunday, December 14, 2025. They were born on January 25, 1998, in Chita, Russia.

Benji was a student at St. Joseph Catholic School and a 2016 graduate of Avon Lake High School. Benji was gifted with boundless creativity, which they applied to photography, writing, drawing, and musical composition. Benji’s true passion, and where their spirit soared, was performing and attending musical and theater events. Benji loved participating in the ALHS marching band and concert band, choral programs, stage productions, and, outside of school, the Oberlin Choristers, Huntington Playhouse, True North Cultural Arts, and Cedar Point, as well as singing the National Anthem for the Cleveland Crushers and the Cleveland Monsters.

Ben attended classes at Lorain County Community College. Their free-spirited nature blossomed and Ben courageously explored many paths. An LGBTQ+ and drag queen photographer of the community- we became their extended family. They were a fierce advocate for the rights of others, especially Cleveland’s unsheltered community. Above all, Benji is a beloved son, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend, and will be deeply and forever missed.

Ben is survived by parents Don and Sherri McComas; grandparents Sue Neiding, and Tom and Maralyn Neiding; aunts and uncles Penny and Dave Harrold, Dan Neiding, and Sandi Neiding; and cousins Marissa Harrold and Kristen Neiding. They were preceded in death by their grandparents, Norma and Donald McComas, John Bender, and their uncle Eugene McComas.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions in Ben’s honor be made to LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

Family will receive friends on Friday, December 26, 2025 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at Busch Funeral Home, 163 Avon Belden Road, Avon Lake, OH 44012. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 10:00 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 32929 Lake Road, Avon Lake, OH, 44012.