David Benjamin "Ben" Gieseman

1966 - 2020

David Benjamin (Ben) Gieseman, age 53, of Arlington, Virginia passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 19th at his home of 23 years with his loving wife, Elizabeth (Beth) Klaus Gieseman and their three beautiful children at his side.

Ben was born on December 1, 1966 in Abingdon, Virginia to Earl and Mollie Gieseman. He attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where he received his undergraduate finance degree in 1989. Ben loved Virginia Tech and being a Hokie. He shared in later years how happy he was to have added many English classes to his course schedule earning an English minor. Ben also obtained an MBA at the University of Maryland in 1995. He was a very proud Terrapin and thankful to have attended graduate school minutes from his beloved Bowie, Maryland where he spent his formative years, forged lifelong friendships and won two high school state soccer championships. Ben began his career at Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PFCU) and would thank them today for assisting with his graduate degree. Ben then joined Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 1996 where he was selected for an Advanced Financial Development program and an opportunity to work in Maidenhead, England. He and Beth lived in Windsor, England and soaked up every ounce of their time abroad. Ben also spent time in the EDS offices in Plano, Texas and Dulles, Virginia. For the past twelve years, Ben has been responsible for pricing and growth strategy for SRA International, which became CSRA Inc, and then General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), where he was a highly respected and much-loved colleague. Ben was instrumental in developing creative strategies for bids across GDI'Ts entire business and he always enjoyed a laugh with his co-workers whom he considered friends. He greatly appreciated the support and kindness of GDIT during his recent illness. Ben had a fierce love for his family. He reveled in taking his daughters to early morning swim meets, supporting his son in basketball and soccer games and traveling with his wife and children. Ben was passionate about following world soccer, exploring literature, watching The History Channel, touring art museums, collecting currency, playing board games, drawing and connecting with people at a cocktail party. He was excited to see Bavarian castles during a planned trip to Germany for his 25th wedding anniversary in September 2020. All of Ben's experiences shaped him to be a clever and profound human being who was dearly loved by family and friends.

Ben is survived by his wife, Beth, whom he met at Virginia Tech on the steps of his Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house in September 1988, and his children, Evie Elizabeth, age 20; Maximilian (Max) Benjamin, age 18; and Josephine (Josie) Charlotte, age 14. He is also survived by his father and mother who currently reside in Swan Point, Maryland; his brother Todd (Merideth) Gieseman of Lovettsville, Virginia; his sister Tay (Chad) Harris of Severna Park, Maryland; mother-in-law Anne Klaus (Byron Kline) of Lighthouse Point, FL; sister-in-law Kristen (Steve) Frieseke of Wauwatosa, WI; two brothers-in-law Ben (Sara) Klaus of Louisville, CO; Jake (Amanda) Klaus of Weston, FL; and thirteen adored nieces and nephews.

Ben was preceded in death by his father-in-law Jonathan Klaus; and grandparents Earl and Norma Gieseman of Dalton, GA; and Ben and Bonnie Wechsler of Davidsonville, MD.

A private family service was held for Ben at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Arlington, Virginia on April 28th, 2020. The family gathered in the Trinity courtyard, a special outdoor setting Ben, Beth and their children loved.

A public celebration of life is planned for spring of 2021.

In lieu of flowers, the family has chosen two charities to honor Ben. Donations may be made to Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in the name of the Ben Gieseman Melanoma Research Fund. To honor Ben's love of soccer, contributions may also be made to Soccer Without Borders, a charity using soccer as a vehicle of positive change for youth in under-served communities in the U.S., Uganda and Nicaragua.