A Legacy of Family, Faith, and Professional Excellence: The Blythe Family Story
In a world that often values rapid success and personal gain, the story of Lars and Molly Blythe, graduates of the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics, stands as a testament to the enduring values of family, faith, and hard work. Their journey, spanning over four decades, reflects a commitment to ethical business practices, education, and community service. As we explore their remarkable story, we discover that their family legacy extends far beyond their thriving firm — Blythe CPAs & Advisors.
“Our story is really very simple; It’s all about family. We both grew up in families with parents that taught us the value of faith, provided us with a moral compass, and reflected the traditional American work ethic,” said Lars Blythe.
HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS
Before studying at the University of Kentucky, Lars and Molly’s story began in the western part of our state in Paducah, Kentucky. High school sweethearts, they met during their junior year while cruising the local Dairy Queen. Both graduated from local high schools, with Molly attending Heath High School and Lars attending Paducah Tilghman High School.
After high school, they ventured out separately for their first year of college, with Molly enrolling at DePauw University and Lars attending Eastern Kentucky University with plans of entering law enforcement. However, they soon decided to reunite at the University of Kentucky as sophomores.
A SOLID FOUNDATION
Both Lars and Molly pursued a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, graduating in May 1979. The decision to study accounting was influenced by their own passions and external factors. Molly’s interest was sparked in her senior high school year by a national magazine article highlighting the emerging role of women in the accounting profession and her positive experience with high school accounting. She quickly recognized the natural fit for her.
Lars on the other hand shifted his career path from law enforcement to pre-law during the transition to UK. Molly’s influence played a significant role in his decision to try accounting, which soon led to his recognition of the promising opportunities the profession offered. They both attribute Beta Alpha Psi for introducing the accounting world through interaction with different firms.
While at Gatton, Lars and Molly faced their fair share of challenges, one of which was a particularly tough business combinations accounting class where the entire class was failing at one time! It was a high-pressure situation, but they persevered and found
success.
BLYTHE CPAS & ADVISORS: A FAMILY AFFAIR
Upon graduation, the Blythes ventured into the world of accounting. After multiple offers in two cities, they chose to begin their careers with prestigious “Big Eight — now Big Four” accounting firms, Molly at PwC and Lars at KPMG in St. Louis, Missouri, where the office sizes offered diverse industries and experience. Despite the initial challenge when announcing they were from UK, they thrived in their roles. “When we told anybody that we were from UK, they automatically assumed we were from Kansas (KU!),” says Lars. They refer to this period as their “residency training,” where they applied their technical training from UK to real-world accounting.
However, after becoming licensed CPAs and spending four years in St Louis, they felt the calling to return home to Paducah to start their own business — and a family!
In May 1986, Blythe CPAs & Advisors was born. The firm began small but quickly found a niche as advisors to healthcare professionals, which included physicians, dentists, and other healthcare providers. They distinguished themselves by offering comprehensive business advice alongside traditional accounting and tax services.
Over time, the firm expanded to offer assurance and consulting services. Lars later became a Certified Financial Planner to better serve the needs of high-income and high-net-worth clients, and later became certified in business valuations for estate planning, business transactions and litigation support. Molly focused on developing the assurance side of the practice, making it a significant component of their operations, and she developed the firm’s quality assurance control systems. Their firm’s size is now twenty-five with serving clients in many industries throughout the nation and internationally. The firm is also part of the BDO Alliance.
Owning their own firm allowed flexibility (before flexible work schedules were offered in the profession) for Molly to be active in making sure all three of their children had the maximum opportunities available to provide a balanced educational experience, including musical education and outside school activities. This focus on education led them eventually to create an endowed scholarship program at Gatton, hoping they could assist students outside of their family in their educational pursuits.
Molly shares, “Our firm has always been a family firm. We are fortunate that all three of our children are well educated, happily married and are each successful in their own professional careers. And after each completed their education at UK and began their careers and experiencing life outside our influence, they all chose to relocate to Paducah to continue their careers and raise their families.”
The Blythes have an impressive number of six UK graduates in their family firm. Their son, Dane Blythe, has a bachelors (2005) and a masters (2006) in accounting from Gatton College. He is also a certified financial planner and is partner in charge of the tax service team.
Their youngest daughter, Catherine DuPerrieu, has a bachelors in both accounting and finance from Gatton (2011) and took the helm as partner in charge of the assurance service team when Molly officially retired as of July this year.
Catherine’s husband, Andrew DuPerrieu, is also a UK graduate with a bachelors in finance. He is also a Certified Financial Planner and leads the investment affiliate. He is also extensively involved in the Family Office services team.
Dane’s wife, Allyson Blythe, holds a degree in Integrated Strategic Communications from UK and leads the firm’s marketing, promotions, community involvement and staff events. Lars adds, “We would be remiss if we did not mention that our oldest daughter, Emily Johnston, is a graduate of UK College of Medicine and is a partner of Apex Anesthesia Partners, practicing at Baptist Health-Paducah. Her husband, Lee, is the
only non-UK graduate in our immediate family. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a mechanical engineering degree. Roll Tide!”
VALUES THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME
For the Blythe family, the values instilled in them by their parents — faith, a strong moral compass, and a traditional American work ethic — are central to their lives.
These values have not only guided their personal and professional lives but have been passed down to their children and grandchildren.
Their family remains tightly knit and supportive, gathering each Sunday for family dinners, celebrating birthdays, and attending various events together. They are active in their churches and support a variety of faith-based and community organizations, with Molly now volunteering at a Paducah-based ministry supporting orphans and single-parent households.
THE LEGACY OF THE BLYTHE FAMILY
Their dedication to education and the University of Kentucky is evident in their business practices, as they have established an endowed scholarship for upper-level accounting students and an annual scholarship for students from McCracken County, all aimed at attracting more UK graduates back to Paducah.
Lars and Molly Blythe, along with their children and grandchildren, are making a significant impact not only in the field of accounting but also in the lives of those they touch through their commitment to education, community service, and ethical business practices.
Their story is a testament to the power of family values and the lasting impact of a solid educational foundation from the University of Kentucky and the Gatton College of Business and Economics.