Hybrid Systems Ltd., Inc. |
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Phil C. Loethen |
(August 8, 1952 - January 6, 2026) |
It is with a heavy heart that I wish to convey that my dear friend and long-time business partner of 40+ years, Phil Loethen, passed away on January 6th, 2026 after a two-year battle with cancer. Phil and I first met in 1981 when I began working as a new co-op for Olin Brass at the tender age of 19 and Phil was a "seasoned employee" nine years my senior. Phil was my last visit on orientation day and he was in charge of working with new hires in the department. Phil's first comments to me were, "Hey John, how are you doing? I am the coach of our department softball team, do you play softball? What position do you play?" I replied, "Yes, I enjoy most sports. Normally I play in the outfield but I can play anywhere." Phil said, "Great! I need a first baseman. Bring your glove tomorrow." After an hour or so of semi-work related chit-chat, Phil asked if I wanted to go have a beer at the local watering hole. Thus began a relationship that continued for over four decades. Our difference in age only mattered when I would give Phil good-natured ribbing about
Our friendship grew over the next few years as I finished college and started working as a full-time employee. During those years, besides work and work-related activities, Phil and I often met after work, along with another friend. We called those events "safety meetings"! Over time, the three of us knew we wanted to do something a little different with our software skills and other talents. Hence, the beginning of HSL. Phil was always a "people person"! His personality and enthusiasm helped open many doors for us.
Our first few years of business were very slim to say the least! We were software guys with good ideas and development talent but we really didn't know how to market those ideas. After developing our first product, we ran a few ads and achieved some announcements in a few national publications. We put the phone in the window of the front room of Phil's house and played stick ball in the front yard waiting for the phone to ring! Needless to say, after a few weeks of that we realized the world was not going to beat a path to our door! After additional market research, we decided it would be best to divide responsibilities somewhat. We purchased mailing/contact lists and learned about regional IDMS user group
Things got easier over time. We both enjoyed the non-stop travel (pretty much every other week at the time) but, most importantly, we truly enjoyed seeing clients use our products to
Our biggest act, however, was saved for Y2K. Once again, Phil was out beating the pavement and attended an IDMS user group meeting in 1995. At the end of the meeting, a general discussion broke out about problems and issues people were facing. One individual stood up and spoke about a novel way his company was thinking of addressing the Y2K issue. As it was still relatively early in the Y2K remediation cycle, most people hadn't even been thinking about it and no one commented on it. Phil brought the idea back and after we refined the concept we developed a suite of Y2K tools that saved individual corporations and organizations hundreds of thousands of dollars. And we made a few nickels along the way! Phil was always a quick study when it came to business issues, especially when it came to
While our lives have been intertwined for the last 40 years and our business was a strong thread, our friendship is the real glue that kept us together. From day one, we inevitably always had a great time when we were together! Whether we were working on software or traveling the world trying to sell it, playing golf or fishing, vacationing with our families, or just getting together for a quick lunch, I am confident we both looked forward to the occasion. For Phil, family was always his foundation and he has a great, loving family to show for it.
John H. Holtmann, Jr. |
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