CPA, Tulane tax professor Allen B. Koltun memorial on Sunday
ALLEN BUSH KOLTUN, a certified public accountant for 52 years and the founder of the firm Koltun, Buckman and Ortiz, Ltd., died from heart failure, passing peacefully on Thursday, March 21 at his home in New Orleans. He was 90.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Fleurette Lurie Koltun; his daughter Fran Koltun Averett; his son Dr. Douglas Koltun (Eila); his sister Shirley Koltun Schiffman; and three grandchildren.
Koltun received his Bachelor of Business Arts degree from Tulane in 1943. Following graduation, he served as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. SC1028 in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Following the end of the war, he returned to Tulane to earn his Masters of Business Administration degree in 1947. Koltun became a practicing CPA, eventually founding the firm that bore his name and serving as its president until his retirement in 1999.
Professionally, Koltun was a chairman of the Louisiana Society of CPAs’ Taxation Committee, a past president of the New Orleans Association of Business Economists, a former chairman of the Advanced Tax Program for the State Society and Louisiana Bar, a former executive committee member and president of Jeffreys Henry International, an international association of independent accounting firms.
Koltun was an associate professor of taxation at Tulane’s Graduate School of Business and taught courses on tax planning and tax research. He was a professional member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountant’s Taxation Committee, Estates and Gifts Division as well as the Small Business Division. Koltun published articles in the Journal of Accountancy, Management Services, and Taxation for Accountants and was a member of the program committee for The Tulane Tax Institute. He was a frequent lecturer on the subject of taxation on both a local and national basis.
An active member of the Jewish community, he was a past board member of the Jewish Welfare Federation, the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Children’s Regional Service and Tulane Hillel. He served as vice-president of the Jewish Community Center and was a member on the boards of Temple Sinai and the Jewish Foundation. Additionally, he served as a member of the board of Goodwill Industries.
Koltun never forgot his naval career. He was past president of the Tulane Naval ROTC alumni and a charter member of the National D-Day Museum, now known as the National World War II Museum. Koltun had a long association with WYES-TV, the first public television and PBS affiliate in New Orleans. Koltun presented a series of televised accounting programs in his role as a Tulane professor over WYES and served as a member of the WYES Advisory Committee until the time of his passing.
Rabbi Ed Paul Cohn officiated at a memorial service in the Feibelman Chapel of Temple Sinai, 6227 St. Charles Avenue, on Sunday, March 24 at 2:00pm. A private interment was conducted in Hebrew Rest Mausoleum.
In lieu of flowers, donations are suggestd to Temple Sinai; Jewish Children’s Regional Service; WYES-TV, 915 Navarre Avenue, New Orleans, LA; or the charity of your choice . Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. For information call 504-835-2341.
