Bryan Andrew Cross, 45, of New Canaan, Connecticut, passed away May 20, 2026, with his family by his side following a courageous and dignified fight with cancer. Bryan is survived by his wife, Samantha (née Van Horn), their daughters Adele (10) and Joslyn (8), father Jeffery Cross of Westmont, Illinois, brother William (Julia) of Arvada, Colorado, and sisters Molly (James Haunty) of Hinsdale, Illinois, and Anne (Henry Moll) of Brunswick, Maine. He was preceded in death by his mother Patricia Foy Cross (dec’d 2025).  

Bryan was born to Jeffery and Patricia in Evanston, Illinois on March 4, 1981, and grew up in Barrington, Illinois, the big brother of William, Molly, and Anne. Bryan was a gifted scholar and athlete, earning a bachelor’s degree at the University of Chicago in 2003 while also playing as the center for the school’s football team.  He moved to New York City after graduation with Joshua Dunn, his friend and quarterback on the University of Chicago football team and began a twenty-year career at UBS. Bryan received his Master of Financial Mathematics from the University of Chicago in 2006. Bryan met Samantha at UBS and always liked to say that marrying her in 2008 was the greatest trade he ever made. Two of the happiest days of Bryan’s life were when he and Samantha welcomed Adele and Joslyn into their lives, with the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series a close third. In 2023, Bryan left UBS and fulfilled a lifelong dream when he became a math teacher at Fairfield College Preparatory School in Fairfield, Connecticut. Bryan was also a founding moderator of the Fairfield Prep Investors, one of the first high school student-managed investment funds in Connecticut. At the time of his passing, Bryan was pursuing a joint master’s and PhD in education from Teachers College, Columbia University. 

Bryan is remembered as a fiercely loyal and devoted father, husband, son, big brother, teammate, and friend who could always be counted on to share his time, wisdom, and strength. Bryan always had an answer ready, and the confidence and conviction with which he gave it made you feel assured he was (probably) right. Bryan made no small plans, and his never-ending curiosity for the world and sense of adventure is fondly remembered by the special people he recruited as accomplices and companions in his life.  Bryan’s well-lived life in pursuit of knowledge, happiness, authentic fulfillment, love, and service to others is an inspiration and reminder of what makes Bryan so special to those who love him. 

Visitation will be at Hoyt Funeral Home, 199 Main Street New Canaan, Connecticut, on Sunday, June 7, 2026, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. ET. A funeral mass will be held at Saint Aloysius Parish Catholic Church, 21 Cherry Street New Canaan, Connecticut, on Monday, June 8, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET. 

The Cross family respectfully requests no flowers be sent.  The family asks instead that donations be considered in support of the Bryan Cross Scholarship Fund at Fairfield College Preparatory School, which will honor Bryan’s teaching career by providing financial assistance to a student who possesses a demonstrated interest and passion for mathematics and investing. To support the Bryan Cross Scholarship Fund, please visit Fairfield College Preparatory School / Giving, and select the “Bryan Cross Scholarship" under "Designation.