Brian D'Arcy Klee

Jupiter - Brian D'Arcy Klee was born on April 8, 1951, to a young medical student, Gerald D'Arcy Klee, and his newlywed English wife, Elizabeth Grace. Brian was the eldest of five siblings. The family moved frequently during Brian's early years before settling in Baltimore, Maryland, the place he considered his childhood home.

Brian's college years at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, were among his most formative experiences. There he laid the foundation for the worldly knowledge, formidable intellect, and penchant for debate that would leave an indelible mark on all who knew him, especially his children. He majored in philosophy, where he learned "how to think," graduating with the Noss Prize as the most outstanding philosophy student in his class. He lived in the International House, where he made close friends from around the world, and he traveled extensively to France, Germany, Sweden, the former Soviet Union, and Morocco.

Brian changed course from philosophy to pursue an MBA at Columbia University. He began his career as a CPA with Price Waterhouse and subsequently worked as an internal auditor at Bristol-Myers, whose generous corporate travel budget he took full advantage of, working in Paris, the Philippines, and other far-flung locales. His stories of uncovering factory workers' wine-soaked lunches and eating bowls of Thai chilis that would leave you tearing up and coughing were retold again and again throughout the years.

Brian left Bristol-Myers, earned his CFA, and went to work as a Portfolio Manager at Scudder, Stevens & Clark. He excelled as a money manager and became the youngest Vice President in the firm's history. Brian left Scudder to start his own practice, which he eventually sold in 1995. He continued to manage his family's investments but devoted himself primarily to his family.

Brian's true love was his family. He met the love of his life, soon-to-be dermatologist Diane Davidson, in 1986. They married on May 15, 1988. With his emotional and financial backing, he encouraged Diane to set up her own dermatology practice in southeastern Connecticut, where they raised their family. Nothing made him prouder than the successes of his wife and children.

Brian's love lives on in his wife, Diane; his daughter, Alex (Diane's stepdaughter); and his sons, Jared, Justin, and Trevor. Each of them strong-willed and fiercely independent, the family can nonetheless agree on two things to honor Brian's legacy: the value of a low-cost index fund like Vanguard's as the best investment choice for almost everybody, and that they will welcome political and religious debates at the dinner table in his honor.

Brian passed away on November 19, 2025, at the age of 74. He is deeply missed by his wife, his children, and their partners, Tyler, Tess, Danielle, and Katya; and by his grandchildren, Liam, Nora, Logan, and Henry. He is also missed by his siblings, Ken, Sheila, and Louise, and their families. He was predeceased by his sister, Susan.

A funeral will be held on Tuesday, November 25, at 1:30 PM at Temple Judea in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A livestream will be available on the temple website. The family will be sitting shiva on November 25 from 4 PM-7 PM at their home in Jupiter, Florida. A celebration of life will be held in January, with details to follow. Donations in his memory can be made to the Admiral's Cove Foundation. Brian D'Arcy Klee