The estate planning world has lost an author, speaker, a luminary, a leader, a creative force, but even more so, a kind soul. Having known Steve for so much of my career and having read with incredible sadness articles commemorating his passing, I felt something more needed to be said.
The National Underwriter Series that Steve Created, “Tools and Techniques of…” became and remains a staple in the estate planning community.
Stephan Leimberg
Steve wasn’t just a great author and lecturer or the creator of an online newsletter. He was a uniquely creative out-of-the-box thinker. Number Cruncher software broke new ground in providing incredibly efficient ways to calculate, illustrate and forecast many common estate and financial planning techniques. I remember on a visit with Steve many years ago in Florida, he told the story of the nucleus of the idea for Number Cruncher. Having completed a complex set of calculations, he was given a change in facts and had to recalculate the numbers yet again. While most of us would have just kept crunching the numbers (or delegating to a more junior professional to crunch the numbers), Steve spoke with a colleague about finding a better way. That discussion ultimately led to the programing for Number Cruncher. Few of us have so revolutionized the profession. But for Steve that was only one of his many ongoing creative endeavors.
Steve created Leimberg Information Systems, Inc. or “LISI” as all in the allied professions call it. LISI was not just another newsletter, it was a groundbreaking idea creating a unique information source for all of us. LISI revolutionized the transmission of knowledge in our industry. No longer did articles have to wait many months to reach us, but they could be published and disseminated the next day. I recall once when Gideon Rothschild joked about how LISI had articles published about a speech he given before he finished the presentation. LISI also transformed how information could be conveyed. Steve rethought the communication of professional information in ways that helped everyone in the industry be more informed and grow professionally.
While other articles have mentioned LISI and number cruncher, many didn’t really emphasize the creativity and contribution to the profession that these resources provided. But Steve’s creativity in all of the above misses a vital part of the contribution that Steve, Tools and Techniques and LISI made to the profession. Steve freely helped and encouraged young unknown authors to publish. Few in our profession gave so freely and kindly to help others get their start. I know, I was one of those young authors and owe much to Steve. Steve gave me a tremendous boost in my career. Steve became a mentor. That mentorship grew into a friendship that I valued dearly and will hold onto forever. I was far from the only one Steve touched in these ways.
But Steve did something that was even braver and kinder than just mentoring young newbies. Steve bristled at injustice in the professions and in the world. And when he saw an opportunity to make an impact he did. When colleagues were shunned or denigrated by professional organizations or other colleagues, Steve’s and LISI’s doors remained open. That was not only courageous on Steve’s part, but also demonstrated the compassion and incredible decency that Steve embodied. Those qualities are something all of us, and all of the allied professions, should ponder, practice and emulate. Too often we all witness a harshness and competitiveness that harms capable and well-meaning colleagues. Steve reached the pinnacle of success without ever resorting to such behavior and without ever forgetting those others left behind. That was admirable and noteworthy.
One event in particular is emblematic of Steve’s philosophy and outlook on life. After a well-attended insurance lecture featuring Steve, I approached Steve and inquired if I could ask him a personal question. With his constant smile he said “Of course.” I asked Steve a simple question that itself encapsulates how special he was: “Why are you always so nice?” Steve took the question seriously and pondered for a few minutes then said: “You know, it's just easier that way.”
But Steve’s accomplishments went well beyond insurance and estate planning. Steve was a true renaissance man. An accomplished sailor. His photography was incredible and beautiful. Look here: https://www.unseenimages.com/. His love for his wife Jo-Ann heartwarming. His passion for Amelia Island admirable.
The tagline at the end of every LISI article for years, perhaps since inception, has read: “Hope this helps you and others make a positive difference.” That was not just a tagline, but how Steve approached all of us, and perhaps life itself.