Many kind words have been shared about Rich over the last few days. I'm glad to hear so many of you have had the opportunity to get to know the man that I knew. A few had asked that I share the obit once it came out (see link below). I also wanted to share a few anecdotes about Rich and what his friendship meant to me. Many of the stories that you all have shared have brought a smile to my face, so hopefully this has the same effect for you.

Richie was easily the funniest person I knew. He had the ability to make you laugh through subtle, playful quips, always with the aim of just having fun instead of drawing attention to himself. Through that ability, people just felt comfortable around him and were drawn to him. Honestly, the most fun memories I have trace back to Richie in some way (late night ping pong, game nights, mexican food runs).

Rich was a true friend. As I get older, the pool of people who I consider really close friends whittles down by the year. Rich is the only person I know who made new, close friendships often, and maintained close friendships from his past. Being a good friend was important to him. In my times of need, I always knew I could count on Rich.

Rich was a truly talented person. Really, he was a D1 caliber athlete whose career just never materialized due to injury, sickness, etc. He was also one of the smartest people I knew. He skipped a grade in elementary school and probably could have skipped a few more had he been so inclined.

Finally, Rich was one of the only friends I had who matched my love of BYU sports. We were together through a lot of highs (4th & 18, Oklahoma, 58-0 vs UCLA) and many lows (3-0 Utah loss, TCU Gameday beat down). My BYU fandom will not be the same without Richie there to enjoy it with.

Rich, you are loved, and you will be sorely missed. Love ya, man. God be with you till we meet again. I'm looking forward it.


http://www.woodfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1904911