Ben-John Flores

Ben-John R. “Bulldog”Flores passed away suddenly on the night of February 15, 2011. He was honorably discharged from the Army in June of 1986 where he was an infantry paratrooper with the 1st 504 Recon 82nd Airborne Division. He achieved the rank of SP-4 by the time of separation. He was based at Fort Bragg, N.C. He jumped out of perfectly functioning C-130’s and traveled abroad with his unit, for which he expressed joy and pride for the opportunity to do so. His last duty station was at Fort Polk, LA.

Bulldog was born in Quezon City, Phillipines on December 12, 1964 and was baptized 2 weeks later on Christmas day in the parish of St. Teresita. He was nicknamed Bulldog by his loving parents Benjamin and Nena Flores because of the sturdy physique characteristic of middle-linebackers and the prominent jowls and forehead characteristic of the the fierce and loyal canine, physical traits he exhibited from birth throughout infancy. It was an eponym that he first was reluctant to embrace as a young child, but which he came to accept whole-heartedly.

In July of 1967, he emigrated along with his family of parents and 6 siblings to Connecticut where the family lived consecutively in Bristol, Hartford, South Windsor and Farmington until March , 1977 when the family relocated to Tampa, FL. Here he lived the life of an American teen where he developed relationships with some close friends, attended middle and high schools and blossomed into what would be deemed a consummate guitar player with innate talent and passion.
In March, 1978 he received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, taking the name of St. John the Evangelist.  Upon graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in Tampa he joined the United States Army. After separation from active duty he spent some years back in Tampa honing his music and just enjoying the life that God gave him.  In 1991, he moved to Los Angeles, Ca. where he lived with his sister, Bennie and her husband David where he again worked on music and was able to connect with the western side of the extended family.  In 1993 he moved “north to the future” to Southeast Alaska seeking adventure and found hard and dangerous work in the fishing industry working alternatively on boats and in the cannery-providing the deadliest catch before such activity discovered by cable TV. In 1996 he enrolled in the University of Alaska Southeast where he pursued a Business Administration degree while continuing to work- a true American story. While attending college he completed an internship program located at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in the White House for the administration of William Jefferson Clinton-another gig for which he was deservedly proud. One year at the Annual Easter Egg Roll he won a physical fitness competition.

He attained his Business degree in May, 2001. It was an achievement for which was rightly proud and which his family was immensely proud for him. After graduation he moved home to Tampa and worked for a financial services firm. He soon found out he was not a suit-wearing button -down aggressive capitalist and left that position. He then relocated to the idyllic, tropical island of Maui, HI. In a town called Kihei. He worked for the Department of Agriculture and moonlighted with a company called Maui Sunset AOAO. In Hawaii he again worked on his music and inhaled and reveled in the fragrant, pungent atmosphere of Maui. An awareness of this paradisiacal existence was not lost on his siblings, some of whom who were wowed and envious of his situation.

In September of 2009 he moved back to Tampa with his mother to help take care of his brother who was diagnosed with cancer. He was successful, along with his mother in bringing his brother to remission over the next 15 months. At that point God was putting together a band and needed a smoking guitarist to provide heavenly riffs. He is now currently working that gig and will be for the unforeseeable eternity. To quote Billy Joel who Bulldog admired; “only the good die young”.

He is survived by his mother, Nena; his six brothers, Jesus, Ben-Hur, Benedict, Ben-Simon, Ben Maria and Francis; his sister, Bennie; sister-in law Anita; brother in law David; nieces Nina, Thora and Zoe; and numerous uncles, aunts, and cousins.

A memorial will be held on Thursday, February 24 @ 1100 hours (11:00 AM) at St. Lawrence Catholic Church On Himes Avenue in Tampa. A funeral service will be held at the Bushnell National Cemetery on Friday, February 25th @ 1330 hours (1:30 PM)