The McMurchies of Alaska who made a lasting impact on me
One of my grandfathers was an entrepreneur and farmer near Des Moines, Iowa. The other was a pastor in northern Michigan. Both have been deceased for many years but I have thought of them often throughout my career. Both were hard working, had a deep faith, and a love and respect for others. Legacy is a word that comes to mind when I think of my grandparents.
My parents moved to Alaska where they spent most of their career directing a youth camp in Southeast Alaska. The camp was originally a homestead property that a man named Allen McMurchie and his wife owned. I remember the McMurchies as kind and generous people who often stood in as grandparents to me. When I was a boy they gave me a young colt from one of their horses. That was one of the more memorable gifts I received as a boy, but what I did not fully comprehend at that time was that the McMurchies were
My Father and the catch of the day - early 1970's
My wife Diane and I have raised three daughters in Overland Park, KS, enjoying each phase of their journey. We love our home in Kansas, and like many of our clients, we enjoy friendship and community, and finding balance between our dreams for the future and living each day to the fullest.
It has now been over 30 years that I have been engaged with financial planning and I cannot imagine doing anything else that I would enjoy more. I have spent thousands of hours working with hundreds of families to preserve wealth, manage wealth, and transition that wealth to the people and organizations our clients love and care about.
I left Alaska after graduating from High School, but Alaska never left me.
One day, several years into my career, I decided I needed to reconnect with my Alaska roots, so for the last 15 years I have been making annual treks