The 2-year-old passed away at 5:32 p.m., according to a note posted on his Web site.

His parents, Tom and Jennifer Bowen, "wanted you to know that Ben has finished his race and is no longer suffering any pain," the entry said. "... Both Tom and Jennifer were with Ben when he died and they were able to spend some quiet together as a family.

"... Please pray for the family, especially little Eli," the Bowens' older son. "The Lord has powerfully used Big Ben to change lives for Jesus and that is not over."

Ben suffered from an extremely rare form of brain cancer. The atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor was found in March 2004.

He underwent several treatments at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. But surgeries and chemotherapy failed to stop the aggressive tumor. Yet throughout the often painful treatments, Ben never complained and amazed the St. Jude staff with his cheery disposition.

After the treatments failed, the Bowens brought Ben back to Huntington to spend as much time as possible with him before the inevitable. But rather than just wait, the family wanted to create a legacy in their son's name.

So the Big Ben wristband project was born, a fund-raising effort that took on a life of its own.

• One woman paid $1,000 for one band.
• Schools raised money.
• At one point, the waiting list for wristbands at Adams Hallmark in the Huntington Mall exceeded 2,000 names.

Gov. Joe Manchin issued a citation to Ben, who presented a check for $37,500 to a representative of St. Jude on Feb. 13.

"He's had a big life and has made a big impact," Tom Bowen said earlier this month. The family raised at least $109,000 in Ben's name for St. Jude, exceeding their goal.

"They work day and night to find a cure for children like Ben," his father said earlier. "What a gift to the world."

Services Scheduled

Visitation for Ben Bowen will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday and noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday at River Cities Community Church in Huntington. (You can get directions here.)

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at the church. For more information about the services, contact the church at (304) 736-8197.

Burial will be in Ridgelawn Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the Bowen family asks that you make donations in Ben's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital via this link.

You can read Ben's obituary here.