Ben Charles Swiggett

BERKELEY. Ben Swiggett, beloved father, grandfather, husband and community member died July 11^th while cycling in the Berkeley Hills.  He was born in Ann Arbor, MI, the son of Richard Chinn and Barbara Boos Swiggett.  Ben was a kind, patient and gregarious man, who adored his family. He was a graduate of Colgate University, later earning his M.B.A. at the Stern Graduate School of Business at NYU. He captained the Colgate Swim Team and maintained his enthusiasm for all sports. Ben was an avid surfer, golfer, motorcyclist and cyclist. He had a long career in Marketing Research, at Information Resources and Telephia, and later founded his own consulting business.  Ben has lived in Berkeley for 18 years, where he was a devoted member of the Montgomery Street Motorcycle Club and passionate member of the Berkeley Bicycle Club, where he had served as past president. He continued his involvement in the swimming world as a Masters swimmer, as a USAA Swimming official and a proud parent with the Albany Armada Swim Club.  Over the years Ben meticulously built and continued to maintain a spreadsheet of his entire family’s swimming times, for every age and event. He loved nothing more than comparing times and proclaiming (to the children’s joy or dismay) who was the current record holder. Ben was also an animal lover and travelled most places with his dachshunds Obi and Lily. Ben is survived by his loving wife Wendy Smith Swiggett and son Luke, by his adult children Brad, Ashley, and Jake, 5 grandchildren, Caleb, Niah, Natalie, Hamilton and Reid, his siblings Tom Swiggett and Tracy Carey-MacKensie, his nieces Erin Carey and Gwen Spahn and nephew Tucker MacKensie.