MADISON - Benjamin Burr “Ben” Caldwell, age 49, of Madison, Wis., passed away peacefully in his home on December 30, 2024, after fighting a courageous battle with cancer.

Ben was born on April 21, 1975, in Merrill, Wis. The son of Pam and Larry Caldwell, he grew up in Minocqua, Wis., and graduated from Lakeland Union High School in 1993. His high school years included playing trumpet and euphonium in the band, working on the student newspaper, running cross country, and playing tennis. Much of his youth was also spent on Lake Shishebogama, where he learned to boat and waterski, pastimes he would enjoy and share with others on that water for the rest of his life. He worked in the kitchen at Mama’s Supper Club and mowed lawns at Lakeland Village, where many residents also came to trust him and his crew of friends to tackle a variety of odd jobs during the summer months.

After high school, Ben attended Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis., to pursue a degree in communications. While he had many interests during college, Ben was probably most known for his dedication to The Current, Carthage’s weekly campus newspaper. He played a variety of roles on the newspaper staff, working his way up to Editor his senior year. He formed close friendships with that group and had fond memories of the weekly all-nighters needed to “put the paper to bed.” He graduated from Carthage in 1997 and married Mindy Syens, a fellow Carthage alum, of Randolph, Wis., in June of that year.

While he might have gone on to become a professional “newspaper man,” the advent of the internet in mainstream communications totally captured his imagination. He spent his senior year of college learning as much as he could about web development and graphic design. This newfound passion (and emerging industry) would lead him into his lifelong career as a web developer, which began in earnest in 1998 at the Trace R&D Center, a world-renowned accessibility research center on the UW-Madison campus. Ben’s primary role during his tenure at Trace was as one of the authors/editors of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. This project gave him an opportunity to participate in making the internet more accessible for people with disabilities as well as forge relationships with colleagues all over the world. According to Trace’s founder, “These guidelines are perhaps the single most famous document in accessibility, and the basis for all of the accessibility standards and regulations today - both for the web and beyond. Ben was singular in his pursuit of his craft and his efforts on accessibility. His work will continue to echo for decades as new accessibility work continues to be based off this work.”

Starting in 2010, he spent the second half of his career developing websites and creative web-based applications for all of Qualtim's family of companies, as well as a variety of clients from international trade associations to private businesses and local restaurants. He also continued to serve the Trace Center and other clients in the accessibility industry as a consultant on and reference point for web accessibility.

Outside of work, Ben’s life primarily revolved around time spent with his family and friends. He especially enjoyed sharing his family’s cabin on the lake in Minocqua, where he taught many people the art of waterskiing and the beauty of unplugged time on the water. Driving the speed boat as his son and daughter learned to waterski was one of his favorite activities. He also continued to ski for as long as he was physically able. For some, the hard work of maintaining a summer cottage became sacred time with Ben as “the guys” anticipated their spring and fall “piers weekends” each year.

Always a “behind the scenes” kind of person, Ben ran sound for “Echoes of Grace,” one of the worship bands at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Verona, for many years. In 2017, his decision to join the church’s Team World Vision got him back into running, this time moving his feet to raise money to provide life-giving, clean water for children across Africa. It was his declining mile-times as he trained for his annual half marathon with the team that ultimately led to the discovery of Ben’s colon cancer in July of 2021. But as many know, cancer didn’t stop him from moving his feet. Because surgery caused him to miss his half-marathon in 2021, he decided to train for and run a full marathon in 2022, which he did successfully in November of that year. Despite ongoing treatment when his cancer returned, Ben also completed a half marathon in 2023 and had every intention of doing so this past November, but the cancer had other ideas. Instead, he was there at the start and finish lines for his 17-year-old daughter’s first half marathon with the team, probably the only thing that could have made him prouder than doing it himself. To date, Ben has raised more than $27,000 for clean water efforts with Team World Vision.

Ben is survived by his mother, Pam; his wife of 27 years, Mindy; sister, Heather (Paul) Hesse of Neenah; daughter, Ashlynn; son, Boaz; and many close friends who were his “chosen family.” He was preceded in death by his father, Lawrence “Larry” Caldwell.

For those who knew him well, no explanation is needed for why he will be missed so dearly. For those who didn’t have the privilege, you only need to look at his children to understand the kind, compassionate, loyal person Ben was. His absence is felt deeply by many but the comfort of knowing he is experiencing God’s glory, free of pain and disease, brings great peace and comfort.

A memorial service will be held at GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH, 5701 Raymond Road, Madison, at 2 p.m. on Friday, January 17, 2025, followed by a reception. A visitation with the family will be held at the church from 12 noon until the time of the service on Friday, January 17, 2025.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to Madison Team World Vision or Agrace Hospice Care (see donation links below). Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson East
Funeral & Cremation Care
5203 Monona Drive
(608) 221-5420

Benjamin B Caldwell

April 21, 1975 - December 30, 2024

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