Obituary of Bennett James Rill

Bennett James Rill He loved sports, family, friends, his church, a good computer golf game with his brothers, laughter, music and Twizzlers in the car and curling up with the family dog. Bennett James Rill departed after an accident on June 18, soon after graduating from Rachel Carson Middle School in Herndon. He was 14 and looking forward to turning 15 on July 8, the beginning of another beloved summer; plans included the annual family trip to the lake and cabins in Iowa for the Fourth of July holiday. Athletic, bright and blonde, with a sympathetic ear, Bennett was born on July 8, 1998, in Fairfax, the second of three sons to Derick Rill and Carolyn Baehr Rill of Oak Hill. He was excited about becoming a freshman at Oakton High School in the fall and playing football. His football and basketball teams had both won championships this past year. He did not limit himself into a clique of like-minded, but befriended a broad range of fellow students, from bookworms to jocks. He helped teach a kindergarten class at Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon, and was an avid Redskins and Nationals fan. He enjoyed competing over just about anything, from board games to cracking the funniest joke to running late-night versions of Hide-and-Seek. He was a doer, and always seemed to have plans for this or that. The photos affixed to the family refrigerator show his adventuresome spirit: Bennett in an odd Halloween costume cracking a mischievous smile, on the golf course with his dad, shoveling snow with friends, running with a Boogie board at the beach. He loved life. Bennett is survived by a large and stunned family, including numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Among the survivors are his mother and father, his two brothers Stephen Rill and Colin Rill of Oak Hill; his grandparents, Betsy Laws Rill and James Franklin Rill of Potomac; and Patricia Liddle Baehr and George William Baehr of Des Moines, Iowa. The family will hold a visitation on Sunday, June 23, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Floris United Methodist Church, 13600 Frying Pan Rd., Herndon. A funeral is scheduled at Floris United Methodist Church on Monday, June 24, at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Floris United Methodist Church -- 13600 Frying Pan Road, Herndon VA, 20171, for the Bennett Rill Fund to support student programs and ministries.