Ben Clifford Gerwick Jr.

Ben Clifford Gerwick, Jr. Passed away peacefully at home on Dec. 25, 2006 with family members present both physically and spiritually. Born Feb. 22, 1919 in Berkeley, he was a renowned construction civil engineer having advanced the field in both the public and private sectors over a 60-year period. Educated at UC Berkeley, he later served as mentor and inspiration to many graduate students while a professor (1973-2006) in the UC Berkeley department of civil engineering. Ben was preceded in death by his first wife of 54 years, Martelle Beverly Gerwick, in 1995. In 1996 he married his beloved wife Ellen Chaney Gerwick. He is the father of four children, Beverly Brian, Virginia Wallace, Cliff Gerwick and William Gerwick and seven grandchildren, Bevan and Peter Brian, Darcy Wallace, Wendy Couture and Jack, Jennifer and Erik Gerwick. Through marriage to wife Ellen, he became a loving father to step-children, Carolyn, Elizabeth and Richard Lynch and Diane Chamberlin and grandchildren, Ellen Chamberlin and Kristin and Brendan Lynch. Ben Gerwick touched the lives of many additional people through his loving kindness, positive spirit and wise counsel. Professor Gerwick joined his father's construction company in 1946 after serving six years in the Navy during WWII, completing as commander of the USS Scania. He joined Ben C. Gerwick, Inc. and pioneered innovative applications of prestressed concrete, including foundations, bridges and railroad ties. He also specialized on the use of prestressed concrete in challenging marine, deep water and arctic construction applications, and became world renowned for his pragmatic solutions, deep insight and technical knowledge. This experience was utilized by service on the Arctic Research Commission, an advisory panel to Presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan. In 1971 he joined the UC Berkeley department of civil engineering and concurrently established Ben C. Gerwick, Inc. as an engineering consultancy company. He helped develop the program of construction engineering and management, as well as advance the design and construction of heavy civil engineering projects around the world including introduction of gravity based concrete structures to the North Sea, Jamaura (Brahmaputra) River Bridge in Bangladesh, The Great Belt Bridge in Denmark, Confederation Bridge in Eastern Canada and the Tsing Ma and Kap Shui Mun bridges in Hong Kong. In 1989 Gerwick retired from the University but continued actively consulting and writing. He authored over 200 technical papers and several books, including the widely used textbooks "Construction of Prestressed Concrete Structures", "Construction of Marine and Offshore Structures" and his most recent narrative biography, "The Bridge Beyond." He was an elected fellow or honorary member of numerous professional societies in the US and abroad. He received the medal of honor from the Prestressed Concrete Institute, the Freyssinet Medal from the International Federation of Prestressing (FIP), the Medal of Honor from the Prestressed Concrete Institute, the "Golden Beaver" for Engineering, the Distinguished Service Award from the Deep Foundation Institute, the Outstanding Projects and Lifetime (OPAL) Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Prestigious Berkeley Citation (UC Berkeley's Honorary Doctorate equivalent). Ben Gerwick introduced his children to nature, the love of gardening, the arts including symphony and his passion for literature. Asked what philosophy he would impart to younger people, he replied: enthusiasm for the job, innovation in bringing new ideas forward to solve problems, and integrity -- striving to always act with integrity is striving for the perfect life. He was an inspiration to family, friends, associates, students and colleagues by living these tenets throughout his long life. Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley, February 3, 2007 at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Ben C. Gerwick Fellowship Award Fund, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley.