Benjamin Aga

Ben Aga, 46, of Rochester, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on October 31, 2025, after battling glioblastoma for several months.

Benjamin David Aga was born on October 23, 1979, in Decorah, Iowa, to David and Theresa (Mackenburg) Aga. He grew up on a farm outside of Ridgeway, Iowa, with his parents and two older sisters and he attended elementary school in Ridgeway. Ben went to junior high and high school in Cresco, Iowa, where he met his future wife, Melissa Hughes.

Ben graduated from Crestwood High School in 1998, where he was voted ‘Most Likely To Succeed’. He attended Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where he met lifelong friends and became a lifelong Cyclone fan. Ben continued to meet up with his college friends over the past 20 years attending sporting events together and texting daily with many inside jokes. Ben graduated from Iowa State University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Aerospace Engineering.

Shortly after graduating from college, Ben proposed to his high school sweetheart, Melissa Hughes. They were married on August 14, 2004, in Cresco, Iowa. They purchased their first home together in Peoria, Illinois, where Ben worked in the IT/engineering field at Caterpillar. In addition to developing and supporting software, Ben also returned to Iowa State University to recruit for Caterpillar. Ben and Melissa’s two sons, Eli and Isaac, were born in Peoria.

After ten years with Caterpillar, Ben’s family moved to Rochester, Minnesota, in 2013 where Ben started a new job in Mayo Clinic’s IT department supporting medical researchers' supercomputing needs. He continued to work for Mayo Clinic for the next twelve years doing IT infrastructure planning and supporting genomics software. He was kept busy with many meetings, troubleshooting, and never-ending projects.

In his free time, Ben enjoyed spending time with family and friends, reading, watching football, listening to music, and biking. Throughout the years, Ben was a devoted husband and father as well as a wonderful son, brother, uncle, friend, and co-worker to many people who will miss him dearly. Ben will be remembered for his intelligence, sense of humor, and kindness.

Ben is survived by his wife of 21 years, Melissa, and their sons, Eli and Isaac, of Rochester; his mother, Theresa Aga, of Ridgeway, Iowa; his sisters, Beth (Brent) Larson of Hudson, Wisconsin, and Andrea (Al) Lentini of Golden Valley, Minnesota; and many extended family members.

Ben was preceded in death by his grandparents and his father, Dave Aga.

Special thanks to the caring staff at Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Hospice and to family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors who supported Ben’s family during his difficult cancer journey.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Ranfranz & Vine Remembrance & Reception Centre (5482 Royal Place NW, Rochester, MN 55901) on Sunday, November 9, 2025, from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM with a time of sharing starting at 3:00 PM. Family, friends, and co-workers are invited to gather, share memories, and honor Ben, whose vibrant personality will never be forgotten.

Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Aga family.