In early 2007, Lou was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He fought valiantly and beat the odds at every corner and curve. His courageous spirit and mantra from Winnie the Pooh - “You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think” - never faltered even in his last days. We may have lost his daily presence, but we will always have the many enduring gifts he left us.
Lou was so many things to so many people -- a father, husband, grandfather, uncle, friend, boss, co-worker, client, caretaker and teacher.
Lou founded Legal Media in 1981 in the basement of a church. A pioneer of the legal video industry, he grew his company slowly and organically, nurturing it every step of the way. His focus was always quality, not quantity. The shape and form LMI has today is due to his vision - inspired by him, and his soul is in every bone of its existence. It is his foundation that has made us who we are.
Lou taught us to do things “the right way or not at all.” He shared his knowledge with everyone and modeled a striving for excellence, not only in business but in life. He taught us to worry less and trust more. He taught us to enjoy the scenery, whether it was work or play. He taught us to appreciate what we had and to know that it was enough. He also taught, by shining example, that working hard and delivering more than the client expects pays off, in business and in relationships -- so many of his close friends started as clients who couldn’t resist his magnetic personality.
He taught us that storytelling is one of the best ways to connect. We will never forget his big throaty laugh echoing down the hallway when he told a story, which usually involved some unusual deposition or courtroom situation. Gosh, could he tell a good tale. And he always laughed at your story, even if it wasn’t very funny.
Lou taught us to work hard and play hard. He loved to play. He knew that work isn’t always serious. Many of us remember the early days when he would “initiate” a new employee by offering them an old piece of equipment, then “accidentally” drop it as they took it from him. Needless to say the “newbie” would be mortified at his or her part in the accident, only to watch in horror as Lou followed up with a baseball bat to pulverize the remaining parts. Those familiar with the ritual would be chuckling at his antics from the sidelines. (In the later years, he skipped the first stage and went straight to the baseball bat.)
Lou taught us that family comes first. He adored his entire family and never tired of showing his collections of grandbaby photos to anyone who stopped for even a moment. They must be the most photographed children on earth. As for his photos, which were his passion… he was such a beautiful artist. He had an eye for capturing the essence of everything he saw, whether a child, sunrise, building or bridge. You felt what he did for a moment when you saw his work. And if you were lucky enough to be his subject, you were honored.
Lou, your heart and soul will always walk the halls with us here. Everyone who has passed through Legal Media is a better person for knowing you and for what you created. You will always occupy a part of our hearts that can never be replaced.