Ben Albert Boring

Ben Albert Boring, age 91, of Farragut, passed away while overlooking his family farm and across the street from the home he was born in. Surrounded by his family went to be with the Lord and many friends and family waiting for him in heaven on Friday, May 22, 2020. A lifelong member of Concord United Methodist Church and a graduate of the Farragut High School class of 1946, Ben spent his life loving people and collecting great memories. Two years after graduating high school, Ben bought a Chevy two-ton truck and started a rolling store where he drove through his routes for a couple of years selling groceries to the local community until he was called to into service for the Korean War. As a corporal in the 101st Airborne, he went overseas and joined the 1st Calvary where he was wounded by friendly fire in Japan. After 3 months of rehabilitation, he went to Korea participating in the mock invasion that helped end the Korean War. Ben has recalled he thought he would be part of the actual invasion until 24 hours before and remember thinking it would be his last day on earth. Blessed that it wasn’t his last day, he came back and lived a full life, living independently and working at his family farm until 2 weeks before he passed away peacefully after a brief illness just a month shy of his 92 birthday. A furniture salesman by profession for 52 years by day starting at Braden’s Wholesale Furniture and retiring with Knoxville Wholesale Furniture and he was a Saddlebred horse trainer on nights and weekends. Ben used those two vessels to gather all the friends he loved and who loved him. You couldn’t go with him anywhere where someone didn’t come up and want to shake his hand or give him a hug and a kiss. With his love of horses, Ben started his horse stables on the 3rd generation family farm in Farragut and in the barn he enjoyed telling people was built by his grandfather in 1856. Eventually, along with his brother, they turned it into a thriving horse stables that at one time had 115 horses. With that business Ben trained some great saddlebred horses, some which he took to the World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky. One of the greatest parts of the stables he ran were the lives he touched through that work. Many youth spent their days there with their horses and have reflected on how they got through some hard times in their lives by being there with their horses and with the help of Ben’s love and caring guidance. Ben was someone who kept friends for a lifetime. In his later years, one of his joys was going to dinner each week with close friends, Lloyd and Carol Bell. Up until about a year ago, he enjoyed attending a monthly class reunion dinner with a few of the remaining members of his high school graduating class of 1946, some of whom he knew since birth. Ben was preceded in death by his parents, Charles A. Boring and Hallie Hackney Boring; his wife of 53 years, Patricia Ann Turner Boring; brothers, Buddy and Ross (Don) Boring, sisters,Kathlyn Davis and Dixie Cox; step-granddaughter, Hayley Hughes and many other friends and family. He is survived by sons and daughters-in-law, Van Boring and his wife Bonnie, Brad Boring and his wife Gail; daughter, Benna Kay Hughes and son-in-law and Ben’s barn buddy, Bob Hughes; the lights of his life . . . his grandchildren, Nicole Harris, Michelle Cosse, Camden Boring, Matthew Boring, Hallie Boring and Jessica Hughes; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and other close family members; and his last horse, Dixie 3 who is the 32 year old granddaughter of his favorite horse he ever owned, Dixie Comet. The family wishes to thank Park West Hospital Staff, Covenant Hospice Staff and Your Home Team Home Health Aides who helped make these last two weeks a great comfort to Ben and his family. The family will receive friends, Tuesday, May 26 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. at Click Funeral Home Farragut Chapel followed by a Celebration of Life at 7:00 p.m. with Pastor Gordon Ridenour officiating. Family and friends will gather at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning at the Concord Masonic Cemetery for graveside services. Pallbearers are Lloyd Bell, Bob Hughes, Rick Ford, David Graham, Richard Duisen and Drew Duisen. In lieu of flowers Ben’s wishes were for donations to Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR) and Concord United Methodist Church.