Kenneth F. DOLAN

1943 - 2018

Kenneth F. Dolan, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, passed away peacefully among his loved ones following a long and brave fight against cancer on April 17, 2018. He was 75 years young. A Boston native and 1965 graduate of Boston College, Ken enlisted in the United States Navy, where he was commissioned as an Ensign and enjoyed early selection as a Lieutenant. He served as a Communications Officer in Norfolk, Virginia, and was a cryptology expert directly responsible for a 15-man communications team. He served in Vietnam aboard the U.S.S. Annapolis as their Communications Officer. After the Navy, Ken headed to Wall Street starting as a broker trainee at Merrill Lynch. In his celebrated career in finance, he held many senior positions ending as Senior VP and member of the US Board of Directors for Toronto-based investment banking and brokerage firm Wood Gundy and Company. During that period, Ken hosted a one-hour weekly call-in radio show on personal finance and found his true love and ultimate career, leaving Wall Street. In 1985, Ken began sharing his extensive financial knowledge with listeners on the #1 talk station in America, WOR Radio in New York City. His wife Daria joined him in 1986, and "America's First Family of Finance" was born. They remained an on-air radio team for 20 years. Their syndicated show "Smart Money with the Dolans" was heard on 200 stations nationwide, and was consistently rated one of the top ten most-listened-to radio shows in America by Talkers Magazine. They were awarded the only four-star rating for financial broadcasting excellence by Newsweek Magazine and elected to the Vanity Fair Magazine Radio Hall of Fame in 1996. While Ken was entertaining tens of thousands of radio listeners, he and Daria began an exciting television career, starting with CNBC's "Smart Money with the Dolans" in 1989, which was one of the first programs to air on that network. They remained at CNBC until 1992. In 1994, The Dolans became the money editors on "CBS This Morning" hosted by Harry Smith and Paula Zahn, making 150 appearances before undertaking "Dolans Unscripted", a live, weekly broadcast on CNN, that aired in 85,000,000 homes across America. Ken and Daria also co-wrote eight books and numerous newsletters, and remained active on the lecture circuit for decades. In his "retirement", Ken chaired Dolan Global Partners, LLC, where he assembled a world-class team of seasoned professionals in multiple industries to provide special sector experience in international real estate development, hospitality, tourism, consumer services, and more. He valued his partnerships and thrived on the excitement and activity of the busy company until it was no longer possible for him to do so. Ken is survived by his wife of nearly 47 years, Daria, his daughter and son-in-law Meredith and Keith Emond, brother Paul Dolan, sister Brenda Dolan, mother-in-law Norma Robbiano, and five-year-old granddaughter who lovingly called him "Gramps" and shares his birth date of January 23. A celebration of Ken's life for family and friends will be held in lieu of a formal service, and will include lots of hot dogs and beer, just the way he wanted it. Donations may be made in his name at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.