SEC FORM 3

SEC Form 3

FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

MCDEVITT THOMAS

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

EDGEWOOD CAPITAL

1055 SUMMER STREET

(Street)

STAMFORD

06905

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
12/01/2003

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
EXCELSIOR ABSOLUTE RETURN FUND OF FUNDS LLC [ N/A ]

4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)	X	Other (specify below)
Manager

5. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
No Securities beneficially owned	0	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)

Explanation of Responses:

Remarks:

Thomas McDevitt serves as Manager (the functional equivalent of a director of a corporation) of Excelsior Absolute Return Fund of Funds, L.L.C., a Delaware Limited Liability Company (the "Issuer"). The filing of this statement with the inclusion of the foregoing infomration shall not be construed as an admission that Thomas McDevitt is the beneficial owner of any equity securites of the Issuer.

	/s/ Lee Gardella, Attorney-In-Fact	12/11/2003
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
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