Congratulations to Lou Homan, Retired Managing Partner, for being our first retired partner spotlight. Read on to learn more about Lou….
How long did you work at Flagel? 1966 – 1996 (30 years) Became a Partner in the firm in 1972 and Managing Partner in 1992. Retired in 1996.
Educational Background: I attended grade school in a two-room school house in Philothea and graduated from Coldwater High School in 1950. I attended Miami-Jacobs College and graduated in 1952. Shortly after graduation, I was drafted in the U.S. Army. In the Army, I took additional classes on Base conducted by the University of Pennsylvania. After my military service, I worked a number of jobs in the Dayton area and attended classes at the University of Dayton and Sinclair Community College.
What was your area of expertise at Flagel? Audit, General Tax, Estate Planning and Real Estate.
What did you enjoy most about working at Flagel? Working with outstanding staff and very high quality clients.
How was the transition into retirement for you? Was it difficult due to the sudden loss of routine and demands of daily work, or was it a smooth transition made by thoughtful planning? My transition went very well. When I retired, another Partner, Don Harting, asked if I would be willing to work part-time, which I accepted, and still do occasionally.
Realizing CPA’s handle more than just numbers, you most likely had built close personal relationships with clients’ spouses, children, grandchildren, and know their family histories. Do you still maintain some client relationships? I have many clients I continue to have relationships with. Many trust me as a member of their family.
What is your personal/family life like? Millie and I have been married for 65 years and have no children, but we have many friends, nieces and nephews.
What are your interests and hobbies? How do you like to spend your time? I enjoy working out at the YMCA, plus gardening at Cox Arboretum. I continue to be involved with a number of organizations, including St. Joseph Church, Calvary Cemetery Association, YMCA, Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley and Missionaries of the Precious Blood. We don’t really travel much any more.
Favorite movie/band/musician/TV show? Movies – Casablanca, The African Queen, Marty, and The Quiet Man. Entertainers – Frank Sinatra. I enjoy opera, stage musicals and bands from the 50’s. I don’t watch much TV, but do like history shows and read non-fiction books. My favorite Authors are Ron Chernow, Walter Isaacson, Erik Larson and especially Allan W. Eckert, an American historian who wrote “The Frontiersman” and “A Time of Terror”, (The Great Dayton Flood in 1913), plus many more.
Personal Information: I was born on December 27, 1931 in our family farm home in Philothea, OH. I’m number eight out of eleven children. I have two younger sisters still living. On June 2, 1956, I married Millie Borger, and we have been married over 65 years. We have been blessed with wonderful friends through the years, many of whom have passed on and are greatly missed.