Dave Goldberg Is Remembered As A Generous And Kind Leader At His Memorial Service

The memorial service for SurveyMonkey CEO Dave Goldberg was held on Tuesday at the Stanford Memorial Auditorium inside Stanford University. Many celebrities and business heads attended to pay their respects for the man who President Obama described as a “real leader” who was always “generous and kind” with others.

“David Goldberg embodied the definition of a real leader – someone who was always looking for ways to empower others. He was generous and kind with everybody, and cared less about the limelight than making sure that the people he worked with and loved succeeded in whatever they did. His skills as an entrepreneur created opportunity for many; his love for his family was a joy to behold, and his example as a husband and father was something we could all learn from. We’re heartbroken by him leaving us far too soon – but we celebrate a remarkable legacy. -bo”

According to the Mercury News, executives and celebrities attended Dave Goldberg’s funeral, including Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, movie director George Lucas and actor Ben Affleck. U2 frontrunner, Bono was also present and sang “One”.

But amidst all the star-spotting was the one woman who will miss him the most, Goldberg’s wife, Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg. Her moving tribute to Dave was touching to say the least. She recalled how he was a loving father and how his dedication to them was shown through his children and “their strength these past few days is the best sign I could have that Dave is still here with us in spirit.”

I want to thank all of our friends and family for the outpouring of love over the past few days. It has been…

Posted by Sheryl Sandberg on Tuesday, 5 May 2015

As well as working for Facebook, Sheryl headed the Disney board, and as a sign of respect for Dave Goldberg’s funeral, Disney released its earnings report early on Tuesday so staff could attend Dave Goldberg’s funeral later in the day.

As mourners entered the university, a special stand was set up where mourners could leave their tie at the front door — a special tribute to Dave Goldberg who hated wearing them. As mourners left, according to The New York Times, they could also collect a deck of cards with Dave Goldberg’s initials inscribed on them.

Dave Goldberg’s memorial service traced the entrepreneur’s life using slides and stories told by attendees. Many recalled his kindness, his “ample humor” and his wicked card playing skills. Half of the eight speakers present were from his beloved poker group. After the service, most guests refused to speak about service.

Dave Goldberg died as a result of head trauma sustained while exercising in a resort in Mexico on May 2, 2015.

[Image credit: Sheryl Sandberg’s Facebook page]