Editor’s Note: We’re so happy to inroduce clients Becky Princehorn and Clay Cormany. Client Advisor Matt Zimmermann recently asked Becky to share some thoughts on their life and legacy.
Introduce yourself to our clients and friends – childhood, education, career, and your family.
Sometimes, something unexpected happens that is positive beyond our wildest imagination.
We met in 2006 after a half-dozen or so years of single life. The year 2007 found us growing ever closer and realizing we had the same values and commitment to public service. Clay’s career involved writing, first with the Ohio Department of Education and later as an instructor at Columbus State Community College. I am winding down practicing public finance law at Bricker Graydon Wyatt LLP, building “real things for real people” as I like to say.
Clay has parlayed his education and experiences into writing fiction and recently had his third novel published. Since this latest book centers on sexual abuse, he is giving a large share of his royalties to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network. I find joy in community service, also building on skills learned in the workplace. We both ascribe to the wisdom of the Desert Fathers: Therefore, whatever you see your soul to desire according to God, do that thing, and you shall keep your heart safe.
Early on, we met each other’s children — his three and my two – and grew to love and support them any way we could. That included us waiting to marry until my youngest was off to college. Our wedding attendants were our children and their spouses.
What have you enjoyed most in recent years?
In the years that have followed we have supported each other in good times as well as bad. We’ve had the joy of welcoming 10 grandchildren into our family. We’ve established a number of traditions, such as our Christmas Cookie-thon and multi-family summer vacation at Oglebay Park. Our favorite, though, are our annual Thanksgiving Family Gifts.
Each year just before Thanksgiving, we circulate “giving ballots” to everyone in the family: us and our children, their spouses and our grandchildren—22 in all! No matter what age, each has a chance to pick a charity in the following categories: Animals, Food/Education, Children or Health. The charities have varied over the years, often in response to events affecting our family, such as a cancer diagnosis, volunteer work at a food pantry, or establishment of a wildlife center. The voting is secret, and the younger voters take their votes quite seriously. We make a donation to the selected charity for each vote, and the top charity vote-getter receives a bonus.
Is encouraging charitable giving important to you?
Our giving ballot caption always reads: Thanksgiving! Time to count our blessings! It’s never too soon to learn to appreciate and share those blessings. That’s our legacy.
Any final thoughts on retirement and the future?
It’s hard to say what the essence of our love is. Loyalty, respect, commitment, companionship, romance, and a desire to help each other succeed in all our roles are key components. And yet there is something more, an undefinable quality hard to put into words.
As for the future, we don’t think either of us knows what it holds. But whatever it is, we will face it together with the unfailing love that has bound us now for almost 20 years.