FACes & PlaceS
LOCAL COLOR 2004

Brian Keyes
by Marilyn Bullock

Does he look familiar? You’ve probably seen him at a fund raiser or two or at a performance by the Riverside Symphonia. Local attorney Brian R. Keyes is a native – a native of Bucks County, that is. He has lived here his entire life and continues to give back again and again to the community he loves.

Brian was born in Doylestown, PA in 1951 and grew up on a farm just outside of Lambertville, NJ. Brian’s ancestor Robert Keyes was one of the original settlers of New England.in the 1630’s and Robert’s great-grandson, Capt. John Wade Keyes, served under George Washingon during our country’s war for independence. His step-father’s family were Quaker farmers in Solebury. Perhaps his strong national heritage is one of the reasons Brian is a history buff.

Brian’s high school guidance counselor told him that “not everyone is meant to go to college.” Taking this “guidance” to heart, Brian graduated from New Hope-Solebury High School and went to work as a laborer. Seeing management material in Brian, his boss encouraged Brian to take an aptitude test. Needless to say, Brian aced the test, and subsequently entered Temple University as a pre-law student, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1975, when he was accepted into the national honor society, Phi Beta Kappa. Three years later he graduated from the Law School at Temple in the top 10% of his class. So much for the errant advice years ago!

When I asked Brian why he went into Law, he answered, “I am very practical. I thought that becoming a lawyer would be really handy.” Brian is also very service oriented. He genuinely enjoys helping people and building alliances. Because he had some background in real estate (how he put himself through law school) Brian decided to specialize in real estate and estate planning. He gets to solve problems that almost always have a positive outcome.

Brian has always had inclinations for the finer arts – his mother ran a performing arts school in Centre Bridge (now Holly Hedge) in the 1960’s and he and his siblings grew up around dance and music. When Brian’s first marriage ended and he was looking for a way to meet new people, he signed up for dance lessons at the Jamison Dance Academy. He became so enamored with dancing that, two years later, he became a dance instructor as part of the New Hope-Solebury Adult Education program. It was at one of his classes that he met Lisa Gladden, who is now his wife. Lisa has her own oil painting restoration and conservation business and they have two sons, Ross, 16, and John, 18, who is studying environmental science at the University of Vermont. Lisa’s mother is the talented oil painter/artist, Suzanne Douglass.

Brian’s love of classical music led him to involvement with two New Hope/Lambertville based music organizations – the Riverside Symphonia and the Concordia Chamber Players – for which he serves on the board of directors. He is chairman of the music committed of the Riverside Symphonia . He is also on the board of Artsbridge, a local art association. He is a member of the Historical Societies for Solebury Township, New Hope, and Machiasport, Maine.

With all of the board meetings, client obligations, and fund-raisers Brian attends, one would think he has little spare time for anything else. Yet, he loves spending time with his sons and takes them on camping, hiking, and kayaking trips whenever he can. The family owns a rustic cabin in Maine where they spend time every year. Brian is also a scuba diver and former rower – he used to be a captain with the Swan Creek rowing Club of Lambertville.

Brian is an admitted techno-geek who bought his very first computer in 1985, years before having a PC became a necessity. It makes sense, then, that emailing him is a good way to reach him – briankeyes@comcast.net. You can also visit his website www.brianrkeyes.com.