Benjamin Andrew Falk

Notes:

Benjamin Andrew Falk of Austin, Texas passed away unexpectedly on July 15, 2023, in Austin, Texas at the young age of 34. His family is heartbroken by his untimely passing but finds comfort in knowing Ben had a noble end, dying while helping friends with an Eagle Scout Project in the Texas heat.

Ben was born in Austin, Texas on January 12, 1989, to the late legendary Texas artist, Walter S. Falk, III and Rhonda Stout Falk, who survives him. Ben is also survived by the love of his life, Alyssa Ferguson, their precious daughter, Frannie Anne and their son, Walter S. Falk, IV expected to arrive this winter. He is also survived by his devoted sister, Sheryl Falk and her husband, Richard Retz, Houston, and his loving brother, Nathan Falk and his wife, Amanda Yzaguirre and nephew, Jackson Pearce, Houston. He is also survived by a host of beloved cousins, aunts, and uncles and a large circle of faithful friends, whose outpouring of love and support has been extraordinary.

From an early age, Ben loved his Country inspired by his grandfather, Walter Falk, Jr., who served as the Mayor of Rockport. Ben was active in the Boy Scouts and graduated from Rockport-Fulton High School. At 17 years old, Ben volunteered to serve our Country by joining the Army where he was proud to earn his wings as a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot. He was honorably discharged as a Chief Warrant Officer (CW2). While serving, Ben studied Electrical Engineering Technologies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and obtained a B.S. in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He achieved his dream of becoming a lawyer, graduating from Texas Tech Law School where he won national recognition for his advocacy skills. He was a well-respected lawyer at Anderson Roberts PLLC and an owner of Championship Title.

Ben was incredibly intelligent, loquacious, and kind. His love for others really shined in the world around him, and his generous nature caused him to have many loyal friends. All agree, Ben was larger than life, with a heart to match. He inherited the fun gene from his dad, Terry and was the life of every party. He delighted his family and friends with his zest for life, his razor-sharp wit, and his entertaining stories. Ben always had adventures to share, including his climb of Kilimanjaro, trek through the Himalayas to Everest Base camp, and dance with Massai warriors in Africa.

Ben's life was tragically too short. His deepest sorrow would have been leaving his young children, which were his proudest achievement in life. He would want them to know how much joy they brought him and that wherever he is, he will watch over them and help in any way possible.

Ben was one of a kind. He was much loved, and he left a deep mark on the world in his short time. He will live on through his beautiful children, through his stories, and in the hearts of all who knew him.

There will be a Celebration of Life on Saturday, July 22, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. to honor him at Key Allegro Yacht Club, 1796 Bayshore Drive, Rockport, Texas. As Ben loved celebrations, there will be another celebration held in Austin in August, 2023.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Benjamin A. Falk Memorial Trust for the benefit of his young family at https://gofund.me/bd89debd

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com for the Falk family.

Notes:

Legendary Texas artist, Walter S. Falk III died unexpectedly on Tues., July 10, while painting in his home studio in Rockport. The son of the late Anne and Lt. Col. Walter S. Falk, Jr., he is survived by wife Rhonda Stout Falk, Rockport; daughter Sheryl Falk, Houston; sons Nathan and Benjamin Falk, Rockport, sister Patricia Falk, Bridgeport, CT; and devoted friends and collectors around the world.

Born Sept. 20, 1945, in Philadelphia, Walter graduated from The University of Texas at Austin. He attended graduate school in philosophy, but when his advisor lost his Ph.D. dissertation, Falk crossed Guadalupe St. and began painting and selling watercolors on the sidewalk. Falk pushed to establish a dedicated marketplace for artists and craftspeople, which led to the creation of the People's Renaissance Market.

Falk was an exquisite artist with a distinctive artistic style-lyrical, whimsical and captivating. He combined dreamlike color in watercolor, acrylic, or oil backgrounds, with human figures inked with unerring gesture and movement, with brief, poetic titles. He had gallery shows, but he felt art belonged to the people, not to the upper crust alone. So he sold his paintings on the street and in festivals, which made him a keen human observer, contributing to his artistic reach even as it challenged him materially. Walter loved beauty, and made many sacrifices for his art. He sold nearly 40,000 original works in his life time, an achievement friends believe is unequalled, and he sold them on every continent on the globe.

Falk traveled extensively throughout Mexico, Canada, Europe, and South America. He had great adventures, climbing pyramids, mountains, and waterfalls, swimming with alligators and fighting bandidos. He shared his adventurous spirit in his paintings and through his captivating stories. He was a larger than life character who has been compared to Hemingway and Steinbeck. He relished life, and stayed true to himself throughout his.

A funeral service will be held this Sunday, 2:30 pm, at the First United Methodist Church, Rockport. A celebration of his life will be held soon in Austin. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made toward any charity supporting the arts or the environment or the American Heart Society.

(Courtesy of Sheryl Falk)

Walter married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

WALTER S FALK 22 Mar 1914 27 May 2001 (V) 78756 (Austin, Travis, Texas) (none specified) 173-05-5372 Pennsylvania

Walter married Josephine Anne Glennon Pearce on 2 Jun 1944 in Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi. Josephine (daughter of Jefferson Clayton Pearce and Nora Iduma Latimer) was born on 18 Oct 1923 in Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi; died on 18 Dec 1994 in San Patricio County, Texas; was buried in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Bexar County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

When she applied for a social security account, she was living at 2103 Chesnut Street in New Orleans, LA. She 18 years old, and her first job was at Realty Operators in the 500 Marine Building in New Orleans.

Notes:

Married:
Sheryl Falk emailed that "My grandfather, Walter S. Falk, Jr. married Anne Pearce on June 2, 1944 in Biloxi Mississipi in the Chapel at Kessler Field. Her parents were from Biloxi, Mississippi."

Notes:

Walter Samuel Falk Birth Date: 26 Feb 1880 Birth Place: Monroe Residence: Delaware, Pennsylvania Roll: WW2_2240135 Note regarding the images for the states of PA, MD, WV, and DE. These four states were scanned at the National Archives facility in such a way that the back of one person's draft card appears on the same image as the front of the next individual. The result is that when you click to view the original image, you will see the correct front side of the draft card, but the back of the previous soldier's card. Ancestry is aware of this problem, and is working to correct this issue.
Ancestry.com. U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007


(Research):

Census Information:

1930 Federal Census
Pennsylvania, Delaware County, Upper Darby Twp
Enumerated April 3, 1930
ED 23-161 SD 27 Sheet 3A Stamped 107
Wilde Avenue
1005-54-59
Falk, Walter S. Head $20,000 M W 50 M31 Mich Germany Germany Retired USN
Falk, Anna T. S. Wife F W 45 M 24 Pa Pa Maryland
Falk, Vivian S Dtr F W 17 S Pa Mich Pa
Falk, Walter S Jf Son M W 16 S Pa Mich Pa
Falk, Evelyn H Dtr F W 8 S Ct Mich Pa
--------60
Sneden, James C Father-in-Law M W 80 M 20 Pa Ireland/Freee State Ireland/State
Sheden, Mary E Mother-in-law F W 84 M 24 Maryland Ireland/Free State Virginia

Walter married Anna Thompson Sneden on 26 Aug 1911. Anna (daughter of James Coulter Sneden and Mary Ellen Holloway) was born on 2 Sep 1885 in Pennsylvania; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Sheryl Falk sent the following information about her paternal great-grandmother, Anna Shenden Thompson, excerpted from a book Anna wrote about her life:

She writes that her maternal grandmother Hester (Hetty) Lucas (born 1812) was the daughter of Hester Bowen (Boen) and Parker Lucas. She lived with her family in the Eastern part of Virginia at Accomak county. They lived in a fine estate and raised Thoroughbred horses.

Hetty married Lemuel Holloway of Lewes Delaware. They married and lived for quite a time at Ironshire, Maryland. There Mary Ellen Holloway was born Oct. 17, 1845. Mary Ellen grew up and moved to Philadelphia, living with her older sister, Esther Anne Holloway Purnell (or Purcell). Esther's husband accidently shot himself leaving her to rais her children alone.

Anna's father James Coulter Sneden was born in Philadelphia Jan. 18, 1851 at 16th and Pine Street. His parents came to America from Belfast lreland. His father William Sneden started to work as a carpenter but soon began building houses for himself. James Coulter Sneden often spoke of going to Independence Hall when he was 10 years old to see the body of Abraham Lincoln lying in state.

James Coulter and Mary Ellen met at a church social -Pine Street Church (3rd and Pine streets). They were married Oct. 13th, 1881 by the Rev. Adair. My great grandmother, Anna Sneden Thompson was born Sept. 2, 1885. (The baby's name was originally recorded at City Hall as "Ann Jane", however the maternal grandmother did not like that, so they added an "a" to Ann and substituted Sneden for Jane). Grandfather Sneden lived just long enough to see the baby.

Notes:

Married:
Sheryl Falk emailed that "Anna S. Thompson married Walter Samuel Falk in a military wedding on Aug. 26?sup?th?/sup?, 1911, one month to the day after they had met. They had three children. Vivian (married Bill Buchanon-Lt. Commander USN, ), Walter, Jr., and Evelyn Holloway (1921). On July 21, 1945, Evelyn married Donald Dickee (USMC, wounded) and they lived in Oklahoma City, on 12-31-1934, Anna's mother passed away. " Sherry later added that Walter was a Naval Officer, and he proposed to Anna on board the USS Olympia in 1911. The Falk family donated photos of the engagment to the Ship's museum during a reception hosted by the Philadelphia Yacht Club.

Notes:

At the time of the 1930 Federal Census, a Jefferson C. Pearce was listed as an inmate at the US Veterans Hospital 74, in Gulfport, Mississippi. He was listed as Male, White, age 33 and married, born in Alabama, with a father born in Mississppi and a mother born in Alabama. His Mississippi Death certificate indicates he was a veteran of World War I, his usual occupation was shown as clerk, and his parents were listed as Oscar T. Pearce and Pearl Springfield. He died at the a Veterans Administration Hospital.

(Research):

Census Listings:

1930 Census
Mississippi, Harrison County, Biloxi, District 5
Enumerated April 28, 1930
ED 24-5 SD 11 Sheet 21B
Reynoir Street
309-521-536
Pearce, Clayton J Head R 25 M W 33 M 26 Ala Ala Ala Propietor Pecan Shop
Pearce, Iduma W Wf F W 30 M 22 North Dakota (sic) Miss Miss
Pearce, Anna G Dtr F W 6 S Miss Ala Miss

1940 Census
Mississippi, Harrison County, Biloxi City, Beat 1
Enumerated May 1, 1940
Sd 6 ED 24-2 Sheet 24B
315----R 22
Pearce, Jefferson C Head M W 43 M No 8 Ala Same Place
Pearce, Nora I Wf F W 40 M No H-1 Miss Same Place
Pearce, Anna G Dtr F W 16 S Yes H-2 Miss Same Place

Jefferson married Nora Iduma Latimer about 1922. Nora (daughter of William Edwin Latimer and Mary Alice West) was born on 24 Oct 1899 in Handsboro, Harrison County, Mississippi; died on 3 Oct 1968 in Biloxi, Harrison County, Mississippi; was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Gulfport, Harrison County, Mississippi. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Patty Falk posted on a Latimer Genealogy board that she was trying to find a link to her mother's side of the family: Her grandmother was "Iduma Latimer (b. 20 Oct 1899), married Jefferson Pearce. They lived in Biloxi, MS. Jefferson was from Alabama. Iduma was one of four children, Iduma, Edna, Edwin and Victor. Their mother was Mary Latimer who died in Miss. about 1964. Edna married Stanley CAMPBELL and Edwin married Rose. They lived in Gulfport. Victor married Lucy, they lived in New Orleans. Victor and Lucy has one daughter, Martha Louise, born about 1944. Edwin and Rose had 3 daughters, but I don't know their names."

Sheryl Falk later obtained a copy of Iduma Latimer Pearce's death certificate from the State of Mississippi. Her date of birth per the certificate was instead shown as 24 October 1899, in Mississippi. Parents were listed as William Latimer and Mary A. West. The birth certificate of Iduma's daughter, Josephine Anne Glennon Pearce listed Iduma's full name as Nora Iduma Latimer, born in Handsboro, Mississippi. Anne was shown as her first child.

(Research):
Census Listings:

1920 Census
Mississippi, Harrison County, Gulfport, Beat 2
Enumerated 22 Jan 1920
SD 6 ED 50 Sheet 26A Ward 4
HH 523-542
Robert and Ella Latimer (ages 37 and 30) and children Laborer City Streets
HH 524-543
E.J. and Ellen Latimer (ages 72 and 66) Laborer City Streets
HH 528-547
Latimer, William E Head M W 44 M Miss Miss Miss Carpenter House
Latimer, Mrs. Allice Wf F W 43 M Miss Miss Miss
Latimer, Nora Iduma Dtr F W 20 S Miss Miss Miss
Latimer, Robert E(dwin) Son M W 15 S Miss Miss Miss
Latimer, Edna Urumia? Dtr F W 13 S Miss Miss Miss
Latimer, Victor Son M W 9 S Miss Miss Miss