Benjamin Joel Sanya

Benjamin Joel Sanya was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on September 16, 1993, and left this world far too soon on May 25, 2026, at 32 years old. He spent most of his childhood in Bullock, NC where he attended Granville County schools and played basketball and football at J.F. Webb. Ben was the kind of person you do not forget. He made an impression wherever he landed—not because he tried to, but because his spirit was as big as him. He was funny, mischievous, loyal, tenderhearted, and completely, unapologetically himself.

To know Ben was to know love in action. He adored his longtime love, Taylor Driggs, and their engagement on Christmas Day in 2021 was one of the happiest moments of his life. He loved her deeply and credited her positivity and support with helping him grow into the mature man and father he had become. He was also the proud father to his son, Maverick Joel, and daughter, Mila Dare, who had him wrapped completely around their fingers from the beginning; there was nothing he would not do for his children. Being their father was his greatest accomplishment in life, something he shared often.

From the moment he came into this world, Ben was a good-natured, fun-loving knucklehead with a knack for getting caught red-handed. He kept life interesting from the very beginning. One of the family stories that will always make us smile is how he chose to get baptized five or six different times. Partly to ensure he would achieve his spot in heaven, but also because being in the water was a lot more enjoyable than sitting still and watching everybody else get wet! That was Ben—full of life, full of humor, and always finding his own way to do things.

He loved anime, breakfast food, trying new recipes, Duke basketball, random FaceTime calls, conspiracy theories, and celebrating his North Carolina-Nigerian heritage. But more than any hobby or pastime, what Ben truly loved and cherished was his people. He had a gift for making strangers feel like old friends. He accepted people exactly as they were, and somehow always found a way to make them feel better about themselves after each conversation. He was loyal to a fault, and if someone needed him, that was the one time you could count on him to not be late. He lived life on his own terms and never stopped trying to lighten the mood, even in hard moments.

Ben leaves behind so many people who love him dearly: his grandfather, Chief A.A. Sanya; his parents, Charles and Elizabeth Sanya; his brother, Chasen Ross, along with Chasen’s wife, Kim, and their children, Ava and Camden; his sister, Rachel Sanya, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as Taylor’s family, the Driggs and Goodwins. He also leaves behind Taylor and their precious children, Maverick and Mila, who will carry his love with them always. He was welcomed into heaven by his grandmother, Omolara Sanya, and by his grandparents Lee and Lynda Ross—Pop and GG—, with whom he spent most of his childhood summers.

There will be a Family Visitation 6:00-7:00 pm, Tuesday, June 9, at Betts & Sons Funeral Home, 512 Lewis Street, Oxford, NC 27565.

The family is currently planning the Celebration of Life, with details to soon follow. In lieu of flowers, the family has set up a memorial fund for Taylor, Maverick, and Mila. Contributions can be made at https://gofund.me/8508a1b08.

If you want to honor Ben’s memory, feed the people you love, call them when they cross your mind, always find a reason to laugh, but when life feels heavy and laughter is hard to find, “Just breathe.” We will miss him deeply, love him always, and carry his laughter, his warmth, his randomness, those facial expressions, and his big, beautiful spirit with us for the rest of our lives.