Faus, Benjamin Franklin, Jr. Age 90 of Minneapolis, passed away November 23, 2019. Preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Donna. Survived by children Terri (Steve) Havig, Kevin (Kathy) Faus, Kimberly (David) James, Cindy Heimerl, Fritz Faus; grandchildren Ben, David, Tasha, Jeremy, Charlie, Tara, Kali, Lisa, Olivia and Madeline; great-grandchildren, Micaela, Nikolas, Andrew & Karu; nieces, nephews and friends. While in high school, Ben excelled in sports. He played hockey and was a captain of his football team. This athletic spirit continued later on as he was a competitive canoer with his brother, Babe. They even qualified for the Olympics but were disqualified upon accepting prize money for winning a competition. As an adult, Ben attended the national collegiate wrestling tournament for 30 years. He was an avid Golden Gopher wrestling fan. Following high school, Ben was drafted into the Korean War. He was stationed in Japan as a paratrooper. Ben chose this role because it paid the most at the time. He was determined to provide the best life for his wife, Donna, and their future children. He was even known to sell off his rationed cigarettes in order to send the money back home. After the war, Ben became a firefighter for the city of Minneapolis and served as a longtime chief. Aside from his commitment to the fire department, Ben invested his time and money in real estate. One of his first purchases came in the form of a golf driving range; despite the fact that he did not know how to golf. A significant real estate acquisition came in the form of purchasing the Fairmont Hotel. It was not uncommon that Ben and Donna would invite those less fortunate from the hotel to their home during the Holidays to celebrate with their family. Charitable actions seemed to come natural to the couple. In addition to the acquisitions, Ben impressively built three houses from ground up, all by hand. One of which included a home in the Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis. It was in this home that Donna and Ben raised their five children. It was Donna and Ben's combined love and respect of nature that led to another important facet of the family's life - Lake Minnetonka. Back when the city of Excelsior still had an amusement park, Ben and Donna purchased nine acres of land on Big Island. The land, rich in beauty and local history, contained a modest, small cabin with no plumbing or electricity. It was here that the family would spend each summer from the day that school let out until right before it began again in the fall. On the island, Ben would take the time to label the plants and trees with both their common and Latin names. His joy of nature was rewarded with several awards that he received for his home gardens. In recent years, Ben loved watching his grandchildren enjoy these same things that brought he and Donna so much joy. Not being ones to sit idle, Donna and Ben were fortunate to have traveled the world; traveling to places such as Russia, China, Germany, England, France, Sweden and Norway. Funeral Service will be held at 10 AM on Saturday February 1, 2020 at Lakewood Cemetery Chapel, 3600 Hennepin Ave. S., with visitation beginning at 9:30. Reception to follow. Interment Lakewood Cemetery. Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996