In memoriam: venture capitalist Keith Benjamin

Keith Benjamin, a long-time Silicon Valley venture capitalist who was still in the prime of his life, passed away on Tuesday. He suffered a subdural hematoma, which is a form of traumatic brain injury, and he was unable to recover.

I’ve followed Benjamin’s career over the years, from the boom days when he was an investment banker at Robertson and helped take eToys public, to when he joined Highland Capital, and most recently when he joined Levensohn Venture Partners. A year ago, he penned a piece for VentureBeat about how the growing national credit crunch may have the unintended effect of boosting returns in technology investments — a piece that sparked quite a debate.

Keith will be remembered at a memorial service this Sunday, August 3, at Cavallo Point, located near Fort Baker — in the shadow of the Marin Headlands that he reportedly loved. The outdoor service begins at 12:00 pm and will be followed by an indoor reception, which will end at 3:00pm. The service is open to all adults who wish to join in celebration of Keith’s life and in support of his wife, two children and sister. For more information, email jsmall1234 at gmail dot com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (http://www.parksconservancy.org/help/tribute.asp) or San Francisco General Hospital Foundation – please designate “Trauma recovery” (http://www.sfghf.net/donate.php) in Keith’s memory.

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