Industry mourns slain Cisco exec

A Cisco exec who was shot to death in Detroit last week is being mourned this week as a gentle family man, a "gifted techie" and a voice of reason.

Ben Goldman, 42, was a director of product marketing for Cisco, where he had worked for the past 16 years. He was found shot in a notoriously dangerous and seedy part of town known as "8 Mile Road" on Aug. 19. His wallet apparently was stolen, which delayed Goldman being identified, Detroit police reported. Goldman was attending a conference at the MGM Grand Detroit, police determined.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that more than 400 people attended Goldman's service on Tuesday. The report said: "Goldman was many things: a husband, a father, an engineer, a mountain biker, a supporter of Israel, a windsurfer. But in many of their memories, Benjamin Goldman was singing at the top of his lungs. He could sing every word from the songbooks of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen -- and would. On one of his last days at home, he barreled over his favorite mountain bike trail, singing songs from 'Man of La Mancha.'"

On the Gartner Group Web site today, Mark Fabbi, vice president and distinguished analyst said: "This week, the networking industry learned about the tragic loss of Cisco's Ben Goldman. Ben was murdered while in Detroit for what was supposed to be a quick, one-day business trip - the kind of trip that many of us take for granted - it's the modern equivalent of hopping on a bus. Those of us that knew Ben are shocked and saddened by a turn of events that is difficult to make sense of."

Goldman left behind a wife and two daughters. A memorial fund has been set up. If you are interested: The Benjamin Goldman Memorial Fund, C/O Bank of America, 333 N. Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, CA 95030, Attn: Daryl Dehn.