To the Lee’s,
I have thought about
Rich and his family often over the last year, and have wanted to wish you all
well, and let you know that Rich left a lasting impression on me .
I worked for Rich for
two years while we were at Smith Barney (1995-97). As with everyone who knew
Rich, he impressed me in so many ways. Rich was probably the brightest and
hardest working person I’ve had the pleasure to work with. Though young, he
strove to be a good leader and a fair forward-thinking manager of his technical
team, the motley crew that we were. He was constantly researching the business,
and volunteering his mind and his time to making it run smoother and more
efficiently. Rich would come up with new ways to motivate his team, always
inquiring after our goals and finding ways to meld them with the business at
hand. He encouraged us to use new technology, read about the business, and
reflect on our strengths and ambitions. And yet, one of my most vivid memories
I have of Rich is seeing him on the trading floor at 7 or 8 am, a big,
formidable, determined man, speaking gently and lovingly into the phone on a
call to his wife. I remember his story of how he and his wife would hold hands
walking down the streets of New York, not letting go of each other even when
people tried to walk between them. Rich told me about growing up in Hawaii,
summers of riding horses to the ocean and going swimming; he told me about
looking after his brothers and trying to pave the way for them, be a good
influence on them. Rich had the rare combination of ambition in his career and
devotion to his family that I will not forget.