We met in Mrs. Cleaves' kindergarten class at the Unitatian church; we sat together for the class picture. Our friendship drifted off and on for all those years. We were probably better friends later in life than in Westboro.
He never lost his love for basketball and played in leagues for maybe 20 years after his college playing days were over.
He formed his own company which, as I understand it, delivered steel for construction. His company supplied the steel to rebuild the World Trade Center after the first bombing. He supplied steel for Costco, as one of his regular customers, when they put up a new building.
The rest of his Fairfield College basketball team went to NYC and worked in the brokerages in the World Trade Center. Rich developed many friendships there. When September 11th took place, he lost about 50 friends and acquaintances.
Rich was helping many of the widows transition to their new lives. He had a softer heart (like many men) than he showed. But it was very hard on him. They would call him in tears. And a time or 2 he called me in tears.
Rich had his demons, as we all do. He seemed to drink harder after 9/11. And then suddenly he passed. I never heard from his widow. He died in Lancaster, PA, on June 19.2007
He was a very nice man whom our entire class can be proud of.
Fortunately for me I have a friend whom I met in the playpen when I still wore diapers. Jeff Bulter and I have also been in touch all along. I have also reconnected with Don Brown and Frank DeSiata. Wonderful men.
May God bless Rich Schonbeck forever. He gave us all a lot.
Richard Boyd
Rich and I stayed in touch until he died.
We met in Mrs. Cleaves' kindergarten class at the Unitatian church; we sat together for the class picture. Our friendship drifted off and on for all those years. We were probably better friends later in life than in Westboro.
He never lost his love for basketball and played in leagues for maybe 20 years after his college playing days were over.
He formed his own company which, as I understand it, delivered steel for construction. His company supplied the steel to rebuild the World Trade Center after the first bombing. He supplied steel for Costco, as one of his regular customers, when they put up a new building.
The rest of his Fairfield College basketball team went to NYC and worked in the brokerages in the World Trade Center. Rich developed many friendships there. When September 11th took place, he lost about 50 friends and acquaintances.
Rich was helping many of the widows transition to their new lives. He had a softer heart (like many men) than he showed. But it was very hard on him. They would call him in tears. And a time or 2 he called me in tears.
Rich had his demons, as we all do. He seemed to drink harder after 9/11. And then suddenly he passed. I never heard from his widow. He died in Lancaster, PA, on June 19.2007
He was a very nice man whom our entire class can be proud of.
Fortunately for me I have a friend whom I met in the playpen when I still wore diapers. Jeff Bulter and I have also been in touch all along. I have also reconnected with Don Brown and Frank DeSiata. Wonderful men.
May God bless Rich Schonbeck forever. He gave us all a lot.
Richard Boyd MD