Remembering Brian Skeet
Posted onThe whole Black Swan team are devastated at the passing of our colleague and friend, Brian Skeet.
Brian became an independent financial adviser back in 1986 and joined Black Swan more than ten years ago. He brought considerable experience and expertise to our business and the clients who he worked with – many of whom had trusted Brian for decades.
Joining Black Swan gave Brian the opportunity to do what he enjoyed most as a financial adviser – spending time with his clients. Without the burden of running his own practice, Brian was free to work closely with his many clients, and he integrated seamlessly and quickly became a valued and trusted member of our team.
Brian was conscientious and always cared about his clients. He even personally introduced another Black Swan adviser, Steve Midgley, to his clients so he could provide a seamless continuity of service. This is just one of the many ways that Brian demonstrated his respect and affection for his clients.
In his younger days Brian was a keen athlete and ran for the Thames Harriers. He enjoyed playing golf (although, in his words, “not brilliantly”!), liked to travel, and enjoyed good company, good ale, and good food.
Above all, he loved his wife, children, and grandchildren, of whom he was deeply proud. He took great pleasure in watching his children make their own paths in life and seeing his grandchildren grow.
We’ll remember him as someone who was always sociable, polite, and encouraging, and who gave his time and expertise freely to colleagues. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Sue, his two children, and four grandchildren. He will be sorely missed.
“I was lucky enough to work closely with Brian in recent years and we spent quite a lot of time travelling together by car. Brian was a natural athlete and was both an experienced and very good long-distance runner. He was able to give me plenty of guidance and help as we sat together in the car when I was training for a charity run myself. He had a way of being able to pass on his knowledge that encouraged and inspired me to carry on improving during my training. His encouragement and advice were an invaluable help to me.
“He was very popular both with his colleagues and his clients and had an easy going and friendly manner which made him a pleasure to be with. Brian was always sociable and would regularly come into the London office for events and I’d be glad to round off the day with him over a post-meeting pint.
“He will be greatly missed by us all.”
Steve Midgley
“I’ve met many people in business over the course of my career and I can honestly say that Brian was one of the nicest people I have come across.
“He was an excellent adviser, creating many long-term friendships with clients, and we at Black Swan felt privileged that he chose our company to work with. He was also a great influence on the team with his knowledge and wisdom, and was a regular at social gatherings, always quick to engage with wit and laughter.
“Brian never lost his enthusiasm for life; he was a true gentleman and will be sorely missed.”
Andrew Nuding
“The memories I have of Brian are mainly social – Brian played golf at Pachesham Park, not far away near Leatherhead. We often talked about playing but never got round to it. When I first met him, I was an `inspector’ with LAS and he shared an office in New Malden in the 80s. Brian was the nicer of two brokers I called on and always made my visit a pleasant one.
“One of life’s nice men.”
Chris Teasdale
“Linda and I both had the pleasure of working with Brian. He was a kind-hearted, warm-natured man who was great company to share a pint of ale with. Brian was definitely one of the good guys, and he will be truly missed.”
Steve Slough
“Over the years, I came to know Brian as an unfailingly pleasant, cheerful, and charming man. Both professional and experienced, he was never anything but friendly and courteous and he always had a smile for everyone. He’ll be missed.”
Rob Young
“Brian was a softly spoken, sweet, caring man who never had a bad word to say about anyone. He will be sorely missed.”
Chris Sims
“Brian was a lovely, calm, generous and thoughtful man. He cared for his clients who were blessed to have him as their adviser. Although enduring ill health for the last years of his life he retained his humour and generosity of spirit. I shall miss him.”
Maureen Pembridge
“Brian was a softly spoken gentleman who cared passionately about his clients.”
Julie Cooper
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