Benjamin Cameron, 80, was born to Juliette Johnson Cameron and Fred Cameron on May 30, 1940 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He left this life, peacefully on February 5, 2021 at University Hospital in Columbia. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Brooke Bulovsky Cameron, of the home; his two brothers: Bruce (Betty) Cameron of the Villages, Florida and Bill Cameron (Joan) Lincolnshire, Illinois; and brother-in-law, George Bulovsky (Caryn) of Lodi, Wisconsin. There are numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews, cousins and former students and colleagues and friends who will miss him. Ben's education followed his broad spectrum of interests in the arts. His first degree was from St. Louis University in 1962 in Speech and Dramatic Art. Then he studied fashion at Traphagen School of Fashion in New York in 1964. As he turned more toward visual art, he studied Studio Art and Art History at Washington University in St. Louis from 1963-65. He earned his MA in painting from the University of Iowa in 1966 and then followed his professor to The University of Cincinnati for the MFA Painting in 1967. He taught in the public schools of East St. Louis for two years. Then as he finished graduate school, he was a teaching assistant and then an instructor at the University of Cincinnati. The Camerons married in 1967 in Madison, Wisconsin and moved to Columbia. Ben began his teaching in Fashion and Art at Stephens College, then he moved on to the University of Missouri, straddling the same two fields. Then in 1974 he began his long tenure in the Art Department at Columbia College, retiring in 2015. He especially enjoyed his turn at running the Larson Gallery. His classrooms usually had the appearance of a combination of a giant still life with examples of work and source material for art. Between the above dates he packed in a career teaching the arts, production of paintings, prints and drawings, a great deal of world travel and singing with MU's Choral Union. Perhaps his proudest accomplishment after teaching, was the creation with Kathleen Shanahan of the national juried show “Paper in Particular." The show ran each year for over 40 years and brought in works on paper from all over the U.S. Ben also enjoyed accompanying students to his favorite haunts: the art museums and galleries of New York City, St. Louis and Kansas City and Chicago. In the summers of 1994 and 1996 he traveled with the MU Florence Italy six week program in and around Florence. The Camerons were fortunate to be able to take sabbaticals together over the years in New York City, Portland, Oregon and Gainesville, Florida. They also attended many of the annual meetings of the College Art Association and the Southern Graphics Council. Sometimes there was faculty recruiting, sometimes just seeing the museums and galleries of a particular city and the presentations of the convention. A late in life highlight was being "discovered" by Melissa Williams Fine Arts in 2018, she gave the Camerons a two person show in her Columbia gallery. Ben's paintings and prints are in private and public collections around the country. He participated in many groups and one man shows. Locally there are two large paintings in the Daniel Boone Library. But part of Ben's legacy is the impact he had on generations of students. His favorite leisure activities were walking, attending concerts and theater, attending auctions, estate sales, flea markets and garage sales. He loved to collect bizarre items: old group photos, 50s lamps, folk art and especially books on his wide range of interests in the arts, music was also part of his collecting. For those interested there will be a Zoom meeting for a "Celebration of Life.” To participate you need to contact Brooke Cameron at cameronbb@missouri.edu . In lieu of flowers, the family would like to set up a scholarship in Ben's memory. Any donations should be sent to the Art Department at Columbia College, 10th and Rodgers, Columbia, MO, 65202, identified for the Cameron Scholarship. Arrangements are under the direction of Nilson-Millard Cremation and Burial Center, 5611 E. St. Charles Road, Columbia, MO 65203; 573-474-8443. Condolences may be left online for the family at www.millardfamilychapels.com .