Brian Kenneth Braaten

Brian Kenneth Braaten, 67, born Feb. 12, 1953, in Toronto Canada passed away May 24, 2020, at his home in Sierra Madre, California. He is survived by 4 children: his sons Scott and Alex, and his daughters Tamira and Evan. He graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelors Degree in Economics and Finance. After University, Brian excelled in commerce and had a lifelong career in commercial real estate and business entrepreneurship. As an avid traveler and duel citizen of Canada and the United States, Brian developed hundreds of large commercial real estate projects in British Columbia, and multiple States including California, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, and Hawaii. In addition to being a successful businessman, Brian was a devoted and hard-working father with many passions. Brian would get more done before 9am than many people would do in an entire day, which allowed him to pursue so much in life. Skiing, one of his main passions, earned him the nickname "Ski King". His other passions included sailing, flying with his private pilot license, golfing, acting, and perfo rming. He loved being on stage and had a magnetic personality that attracted people from all walks of life. He had a love for, and impressive knowledge of fine wine. Brian greatly enjoyed traveling and exploring new places, something which he was blessed to do frequently. He loved the sandy beaches of the California Coastline and the rocky forests and lakes of the Pacific Northwest. As an avid outdoorsman, he was passionate about being in nature and enjoyed camping, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking to name a few. He is remembered and loved by all who knew him for his gregarious personality and insightful wisdom. He had a gift for navigating any challenge in life and was a tremendous mentor to those around him. His influence and spirit live on in the countless many whom he touched during his life. He will be remembered for his witty humor, intelligence, profound wisdom, his hardworking ethics, and for being an unwavering foundation for his children, friends, and family. Brian will be deeply missed by all those who knew him, but he has left those that did enriched by their experiences together. The family will host a celebration of life to honor and remember Brian's life which will be held at future date in both the Vancouver, BC, Canada area and Sierra Madre, Ca.