Richard O. Dorton
Richard Dorton, 60, former CEO of Dean Dorton Allen Ford, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 22, after a brief illness.
Along with Doug Dean and Joe Ford, Dorton was instrumental in building the Dean Dorton Ford firm, which started in 1979. The company now has 150 employees, with offices in Lexington and Louisville, Ky. Dorton served as the CEO of the firm from 1979 to 2012. Dorton shepherded the combination of Dean Dorton Ford and the firm Cotton + Allen in 2011, further establishing the company’s role as one of Kentucky’s largest accounting firms.
“He was a trusted business advisor to many of our clients and a valued member of the community,” said Dean, firm chairman. “We will always treasure his leadership and his friendship.”
Dorton earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA from the University of Kentucky. He began his career with Coopers & Lybrand in 1976, and in 1979, he joined Dean in launching their startup. In 1980, Ford joined the firm, and Dean Dorton Ford was created on January 1, 1982.
His contributions to the community include his service as Bluegrass Chapter president and a state board director of the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants, president of the Lexington Estate Planning Council, chairman and board member of the YMCA of Central Kentucky, chairman of the High Street Neighborhood Center, and chairman of the Equitable Finance Committee of the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church.
A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Nov. 2, at First United Methodist Church, 200 West High Street in Lexington. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be sent to the YMCA Central Kentucky.