Note by Sion Prys

I really wish I had Ben's top tier writing skills to write a better note but here it goes.

I didn't know Ben for as long as a lot of my coworkers. We began working together a couple of years ago, but that is not to say that he didn't have a massive impact on me personally. 

After I accepted my offer at Squarespace, I was informed that my manager was leaving. Understandably, this news was initially quite unsettling. Ben however took the initiative and reached out. He set up a time for us to meet in person, which I felt he didn't need to do. This was a good indicator of the kind, caring person that he was. We both grabbed a coffee one morning before I started. That's when I learnt that he had two sons. He immediately could relate to what I was going through as I was in the middle of sleep training my son. It was very clear to me from this initial conversation how much he cared about his family and how involved he was as a father.

This continued throughout. There weren't a ton of parents in the creative dept a few years ago. Ben became an idolised parent figure to many of us in the department. Work was always very important, but family always came first. As a fellow father, he made it possible and acceptable for me to prioritise my own family over work - which in my career to date, hasn't always been the case.

When I announced that we were expecting another baby, I was very nervous about it. I informed both Ben and Erica in person. Ben immediately got up on his feet and gave me a big hug. It caught me a little off guard. He was thrilled and told me to enjoy every moment of the parental leave. He said that he wished he had gotten that amount of parental leave with his own sons when they were born.  

Ben was such a unique leader. I have never worked with such a smart and decisive creative person. Ben could wear many hats and could relate to everyone's role. He was always so on point, organised, responsive and independent. A unique set of qualities for any creative leader. I really wish I could have gotten to know him on more of a personal level - I wish we could have enjoyed more beers together and shared more music - it's rare to meet someone who also likes Drum and Bass out here in the states. He always had great taste. Our time together was cut too short. He'll always be an icon to me - as a proud dad and as a creative leader. He will be truly missed x

— Sion Prys