Celebrating the Life of Ben Walters

Benjamin George Walters (44) was a musician, a voracious reader of all books but especially comics and graphic novels, an oenophile, and a tech genius. At the age of 11, he read all ten volumes of his family’s Encyclopædia Britannica, launching a lifelong obsession with seeking out his own information. He broadened horizons for so many people and was the guardian angel for many others.

Ben got his first gig as a coder at the age of 14 and by 16 he had dropped out of high school to code full time. Over the years, he contributed his virtuosity to ViewSoft, Citrix, RunAware, and Microsoft. He spent his last three and a half years at Amazon as a senior manager of AWS.

Ben lived life with arms wide open: kayaking the Puget Sound, jamming out with his siblings and friends, making and producing albums, matching up over Go boards, floating rivers with his boys, canyoneering in Southern Utah, and seeking out the finer things in life. He kept himself avidly informed and engaged on politics and had recently begun supporting the Democratic Socialists. He was generous to a fault, a superb boss, and a loving father.

Ben died on the morning of August 13th, 2018. He left behind his son, Siddharth; his wife, Vijaya; his brothers Adam, Isaac, and Steven; his sisters Bethany, Jessica, and Kimberly; and his parents Carol and Larry. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Ben’s name to MusiCares, KEXP, or to NAMI Seattle. His family, friends, and colleagues will celebrate his life on Friday, August 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Sanctuary at Admiral in West Seattle. We invite all who knew and loved him to come share music, wine, and memories in Ben’s honor.