Marc Vellrath

Dec 6, 1951 - Jan 14, 2019

Marc Vellrath, the Quiet Man

On January 14, 2019 Marc Vellrath, beloved husband, father, brother, and colleague gently put off this world’s burdens, carrying his magnificent light forward to the next leg of the journey. Ours is a smaller, darker place without him here. Marc is survived by his wife, Michele; son, Tristan; daughters Teressa Rupp (Holden) and Lilla; siblings Andrew and Timothy Vellrath and Phoebe Vellrath Lake. His body finally succumbed to cancer but his spirit lives on with undimmed influence in the lives of a wide circle of grateful friends and family. Marc was a modern Renaissance man, excelling in the worlds of economic academia, consulting, and finance while simultaneously reveling in the simpler joys of rural life. He favored country music while driving his truck, enjoyed working on his vintage cars, and happily swinging an axe and riding a tractor in the Sierra foothills. Marc exchanged ideas even more often than he traded cars. He savored debates about economic and political principles and practices. Marc earned a pilot’s license and was a loyal, insightful A’s fan. He may be one of a very few members of the NRA who also belonged to the American Finance Association. A historian at heart, Marc was well read in a sometimes surprising variety of fields, including politics, languages, religion, sports, the Mafia, animals, and cultures, among many more subjects. A walking encyclopedia, he was an invaluable resource to students and colleagues throughout his life, especially those fortunate enough to grow up in his home. He and Michele travelled extensively, most recently to Florence and Tuscany.

A rare combination of intellectual depth and entrepreneurial spirit, Marc was a principal and founder in several consulting firms, gaining a world-wide reputation for excellence in financial economics. He was universally admired and respected by colleagues and clients and was a mentor to dozens of associates fortunate enough to apprentice under him. Marc was born to Werner and Dorothy Pitts Vellrath on December 6, 1951. He received a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the University of Washington, and an M.S. and a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. Before he took to consulting, Marc was a professor at the business schools at NYU and the University of Washington. Marc met Michele, the love of his life, while he was on the Washington faculty and they were married soon after on December 30, 1983, celebrating their 35th anniversary last December. Marc was a CFA charter holder and leveraged his financial acumen in practice through a number of timely, profitable contrarian investments. Marc’s financial life, like everything else, was based on fundamental, proven principles applied with integrity and conviction.

The circle of Marc’s influence was wide and touched not only family and friends but also professional colleagues and anyone else fortunate to come within his orbit. We continue to miss his wit, wisdom, and compassion. His passing leaves a great void for those fortunate enough to have known him. Marc was baptized into the Episcopal Church. Symbolic of his devotion, Marc read the entire Bible.

A service memorializing Marc’s remarkable life will be held at the Emanuel Episcopal Church in Grass Valley, CA on March 16th. An additional celebration of his life, with a mostly Grateful Dead soundtrack, will immediately follow.