Harold W. Gourgues, an advisor, author and Catholic
deacon regarded as one of the pioneers of modern financial planning,
has died at the age of 68.
Gourgues died Aug. 18 after battling pancreatic cancer.
He was well known in the industry for his advocacy
of need-based selling-providing a value-added management process that
made the needs of clients a priority.
Gourgues espoused this philosophy as early as the 1970s with Robinson-Humphrey in Atlanta.
"Harold's pioneering work with financial planning at
Robinson-Humphrey, his active service on the Board of the International
Association for Financial Planning and his many writings and speeches
to industry professionals have left a lasting imprint upon our
profession," said Dick Saunders, first vice president at Raymond James
Financial and a friend and colleague of Gourgues.
"His passing is a great loss, but his legacy to our profession will endure," Saunders added.
Gourgues began mentoring and teaching in the mid
1980's, launching his widely read "Gourgues Report" and writing several
textbooks that are still used in university financial planning courses.
He later devoted much of his time to philanthropy and church work and
was ordained in 1990 as a deacon.