Ron Winter, 1995 - 2005
An Autobiography

Little has changed since I last wrote about my family and me for our 40th reunion. I still practice public accounting in San Mateo, although I do expect to retire in the near future. I guess it’s a pretty hum-drum existence. I still have my hair. It’s grayer than it was 10 years ago if that’s possible. I always say that I earned every bit of it. I used to joke that it was jet black before the tax reform act of 1986. Of course, that was a lie, it was never black, but the Act was enough to turn it grey. Here is an updated summary of my life:

EDUCATION: San Francisco State University and Stanford University for undergraduate work. MBA –San Francisco State University; MS (Taxation) – Golden Gate University. Certified Public Accountant, since 1965. Certified Valuation Analyst, since 2001.

FAMILY: Married Margaret (“Margi” with a hard “g”) Elliott in 1966. Still married! Even now, 10 years after the 40th reunion, that’s still true. Margi and I live in the upper part of Hillsborough, where we built our home in 1976. Margi was born in Ireland and came to Canada when she was 14 or so and then to the United States when she was 18. We have two grown sons. Scott is now 36; Christopher is 33. Scott graduated from Hayward State University. Chris graduated from UCSB. Our wonderful little grandson, Jordan, is soon to be 3 years old. Everyone says he is a real kick. He loves anything with wheels, just like his daddy, Scott and his mommy, Cheryl.

CAREER: I worked for CPA firms after graduation and then became a CPA. My next employment was with a private firm, OLYMPIA USA INC., and at the same time I developed a small accounting practice. My first CPA office was a one-room affair in Millbrae, opened in January 1972. We moved the office to Burlingame in 1981 and San Mateo in 1987. My son Scott is my partner and works as our resident computer whiz. Computers are very important in accounting and tax work and we provide a lot of computer help to clients, including a number of other CPA firms, attorneys, and other business firms. In addition to general accounting and taxes, estates, trusts, and tax planning are a large part of our practice. People often have living trusts but do not understand them; and I help them with that. Margi is the administrator for our practice.

My younger son, Chris, has worked in computer systems since graduation. For about a year, now, he has been employed by EBAY in project development.

Margi and I own the office condo in which the business is operated and as soon as we can find a tenant for that space, I intend to work considerably less.

INTERESTS, HOBBIES, ETC: Fine art photography has always been one of my passions. I spent many hours making black and white photos in such places as Yosemite Park, Death Valley, and others. I love fine photography but have not done much darkroom work lately because it is so time consuming. The hours to produce a print in a darkroom with chemicals are just enormous. Someday I hope to pursue shooting and printing pictures. These days I just shoot with a digital camera and check out the pictures on the computer. Mostly, pictures of my grandson but also on flying and other trips we have taken.

It’s been almost 15 years now, and I still own N8BN, a Beech Bonanza single engine airplane and I keep it at the San Carlos airport. We have made many trips in the plane including Scottsdale, Arizona, Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, and Kalispell, Montana. I like to fly down occasionally to Palm Desert to visit my older brother and play golf with him. The plane is like a magic carpet that takes us almost anywhere we want to go.

I read a great deal for enjoyment – books of all types, including many about the American Revolution, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Lincoln, and also a lot of fiction. I get a little money I buy books. If I have any left over I buy food.