Richyamsbrother
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2004
- Messages
- 1
Eulogy of Rich Hyams
July 17, 1962 September 7, 2004
September 12, 2004
Hello, my name is Jim. Im Richs younger brother for those who dont know me.
Id like to take a few moments to share with you some reflections that my sisters (Lori, Lisa and Nicole) and I had on the life of our brother Rich.
There were different aspects of Richs personality that we all knew well. Some of them were striking and apparent to everyone, even when you first met him, since he had a personality to be reckoned with.
Rich had a way of inspiring confidence in what he had to say, since he was typically very sure of himself
In many ways he earned this confidence in what he had to say, since he was quite the detail man. He would dissect anything he was involved with and knew it backwards and forwards whatever the topic was.
Whether it was the topic of building, construction or fine carpentry ~ Rich knew every detail on how to do things the absolute best way ~ he would have given Bob Vila a run for his money should they ever have had a building contest.
Or maybe you knew Rich as the expert financial planner/stock broker/day trader/futures buyer. Again he had a lot to say on this topic also.
Or maybe you knew Rich as the computer builder, or computer systems expert, or the founder of Muffin PC. Yes, this was yet another area of work that he became well-versed in.
Maybe you knew Rich as the real estate mogul, entering the business of buying/selling foreclosures before they happened, giving the financially ruined a chance to avoid a bank seizure, while still earning an income in the process.
Rich was all of these things in his careers. He prided himself on being an entrepreneur and never having worked for someone else ~ much in the same way as our father has throughout his life, who was obviously a role model for him in this regard. If the phrase imitation is the finest form of flattery has any truth, then Rich showed his respect for our father in the way he made his way in the world.
Beyond the choice of career, being a necessity of this life, where Rich showed off his skill and ability to master many different things ~ when doing so he could be described as very confident and always ready to tell you like it is; sometimes in much greater detail than you were looking for, but you always knew it was with sincerity and was well-researched on his part.
But, besides all of this stuff that he knew and did, which became a big part of his surface personality there was another side to Rich that you only got to see over time. There was a softer, caring brother, son and friend, which only became apparent again after years of knowing him.
I know he loved dearly his wife Lisa and his daughter Jacqui. Again, usually with his in your face style he would tell everyone of Lisas great success as a media executive at the Discovery Channel, and Jacquis brilliance with her studies.
Rich home-schooled Jacqui for much of her pre-adolescent years. Having had one of the best and most persistent tutors, especially when it came to math and science, I guess Jacqui really never had an option not to be well-informed in these subjects.
My own memories of Rich go back to as far as I can remember, since he was always my big brother. And yes, he had the buttons he liked to press with me just as he did with everyone else. Within hours of meeting Rich, he was usually able to figure out what it was about you that challenged you, and would bring that to the surface quickly
In some ways he did this because he enjoyed his ability to assess someone quickly and wanted you to know that he figured it out and knew whatever it was and in some ways this allowed you to get to know him well very quickly, since no topic was off the table. He was never politically correct or phony and was quick to detect and/or point out any such behavior in someone else.
But if the topic was something that truly bothered you and was significant, or if he found depth in someones point of view that was different from his own ~ then he would lay off and respect you with this element.
That is why he got the reputation for being a pain in the _ _ _, but with a heart of gold.
Memories of Rich that I will always cherish going back to the early days and moving up to the present would include:
First and foremost vacations that my family took. One of the earliest that we were just remembering last night at dinner, where the four older siblings (Lisa, Rich, Lori and myself) all less than 10 years old at the time drove to Florida with our parents in the back seat of a 67 Lincoln Town Car. It was our first family trip to Florida and I remember we were all very excited to take such a long journey from the NY/NJ area to Orlando.
As you can imagine our parents must have needed a stiff drink every night after dealing with the four of us all day long in an automobile. On this trip we collected fallen coconuts in the rain. My brother Rich, being the big brother, was happy to take charge in running through parks and properties collecting coconuts at my fathers prodding.
Its funny how certain events like this stick out in your mind, but you have to know that this experience was so different for all of us at the time and was very exciting to us.
On the same trip we visited Chicos Monkey Farm. The four siblings took turns holding a large python around our necks. We also each caught a case of head lice from the primates in the park that we apparently had gotten too close to. It was probably a blessing to the parents that our infestations did not become noticeable until we were home again and could get proper treatment.
This first trip to Florida, of course, included a visit to Disney World. Rich being the man-of-details-to-be memorized little facts from our trip even then ~ like the parking space the first time we went to the Magic Kingdom (i.e. Goofy 44 for those who dont remember).
The beautiful family experience on that first trip to Florida and Disney never left us and especially Rich.
When we got older, got married one at a time, our spouses were always amazed and a bit perplexed at the level of enthusiasm we had, and some would say fanaticism, with Disney.
I think it started with Rich and was maintained by him.
This was clear enough by all of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) website posting boards, where Rich was known nationally for debating and bringing much in the way of lively discussion to people across the country. We (my family) were all amazed when his passing was posted on this site, and immediately dozens and dozens of people and families responded with heartfelt sympathies and words of encouragement from all corners of the country. They even began to post Famous Rich Quotes showing just how much impact my brother had on so many people. There must be over 100 detailed responses, which were all quite colorful to say the least.
My wife Mary, my sisters and their husbands all exclaimed on many different occasions how Rich made everything more fun, more interesting, more memorable We had the pleasure of vacationing with Rich, Lisa and Jacqui after our youngest sister Nicole got married to Rick in December of 2001. My wife and I have been to Disney many times before and after that time, but Mary always pointed out just how much fun it was on that trip, because he enjoyed being there so much he made you enjoy it that much more
I could go on and on with many other stories that centered around Rich from the distant and recent past. But I think there is a more fun and lively way to do it is to have my sisters (Lisa and Nicole) run through some lists of things that Rich loved and things that Rich hated, since if you knew him you know that there was no in between or ambivalence with him when it came to having opinions So theyll take turns, one will say something he loved and the other will respond with something he disliked:
Things Rich Loved Things Rich Hated
Disney World DEMOCRATs (Dont Ever Make Our Constituents Realize Any Truth)
Rush Limbaugh Bill and Hillary Clinton
The Enquirer, US and Star Magazines The NY Times
Desserts that had at least 3 types of chocolate listed in the description No dessert
Thoughtful points of view Wishy/washy personalities
Making people blush Being politically correct or phony
Food No Food
Buttermilk biscuits Waiting for buttermilk biscuits (based on yet another outrageous Rich story)
Free compensations from Disney after putting up good arguments for how they let him down Arriving at the DVC resort to find everything in order so he could not complain and get a free perk
Getting poked in the stomach by Mary to do the Pillsbury dough boy impression No stomach pokes
Star Trek The Next Generation Sports TV
Tutoring Jacqui Tutoring Jacqui
Fine wood stair rails and woodwork Metal rails/sloppy workmanship
Spending time with Lisa and Jacqui Spending habits of Lisa and Jacqui
Pickled pigs feet yes, this is truly on the loved list Chili
Giving direction Taking direction
Following this light hearted review of Richs likes and dislikes his daughter Jacqui shared a few words on how great it was to have him as a father. Two work colleagues (Jay and Sam) came up and provided witness to Richs decency in his business dealings and the trust that they had for Rich. Finally, our sister Lori provided one final insight into how caring he was and how motivated he was to share his knowledge. Lori recounted a time when Rich was building his house across the street from hers, how he was laying down hardwood inlays into his flooring and was always teaching and showing Lori that hey you know you can do this. In addition, Lori recalled a time that Rich was teaching Jacqui and Keri algebra when they were 7 years old. Again, signifying Richs desire to share what he knew
Hopefully this will give you some insights into some of the details of Richs life which you may not have known.
All of these things do not sum up the LIFE of our brother, but do show how much he was loved and how much we will miss him
July 17, 1962 September 7, 2004
September 12, 2004
Hello, my name is Jim. Im Richs younger brother for those who dont know me.
Id like to take a few moments to share with you some reflections that my sisters (Lori, Lisa and Nicole) and I had on the life of our brother Rich.
There were different aspects of Richs personality that we all knew well. Some of them were striking and apparent to everyone, even when you first met him, since he had a personality to be reckoned with.
Rich had a way of inspiring confidence in what he had to say, since he was typically very sure of himself
In many ways he earned this confidence in what he had to say, since he was quite the detail man. He would dissect anything he was involved with and knew it backwards and forwards whatever the topic was.
Whether it was the topic of building, construction or fine carpentry ~ Rich knew every detail on how to do things the absolute best way ~ he would have given Bob Vila a run for his money should they ever have had a building contest.
Or maybe you knew Rich as the expert financial planner/stock broker/day trader/futures buyer. Again he had a lot to say on this topic also.
Or maybe you knew Rich as the computer builder, or computer systems expert, or the founder of Muffin PC. Yes, this was yet another area of work that he became well-versed in.
Maybe you knew Rich as the real estate mogul, entering the business of buying/selling foreclosures before they happened, giving the financially ruined a chance to avoid a bank seizure, while still earning an income in the process.
Rich was all of these things in his careers. He prided himself on being an entrepreneur and never having worked for someone else ~ much in the same way as our father has throughout his life, who was obviously a role model for him in this regard. If the phrase imitation is the finest form of flattery has any truth, then Rich showed his respect for our father in the way he made his way in the world.
Beyond the choice of career, being a necessity of this life, where Rich showed off his skill and ability to master many different things ~ when doing so he could be described as very confident and always ready to tell you like it is; sometimes in much greater detail than you were looking for, but you always knew it was with sincerity and was well-researched on his part.
But, besides all of this stuff that he knew and did, which became a big part of his surface personality there was another side to Rich that you only got to see over time. There was a softer, caring brother, son and friend, which only became apparent again after years of knowing him.
I know he loved dearly his wife Lisa and his daughter Jacqui. Again, usually with his in your face style he would tell everyone of Lisas great success as a media executive at the Discovery Channel, and Jacquis brilliance with her studies.
Rich home-schooled Jacqui for much of her pre-adolescent years. Having had one of the best and most persistent tutors, especially when it came to math and science, I guess Jacqui really never had an option not to be well-informed in these subjects.
My own memories of Rich go back to as far as I can remember, since he was always my big brother. And yes, he had the buttons he liked to press with me just as he did with everyone else. Within hours of meeting Rich, he was usually able to figure out what it was about you that challenged you, and would bring that to the surface quickly
In some ways he did this because he enjoyed his ability to assess someone quickly and wanted you to know that he figured it out and knew whatever it was and in some ways this allowed you to get to know him well very quickly, since no topic was off the table. He was never politically correct or phony and was quick to detect and/or point out any such behavior in someone else.
But if the topic was something that truly bothered you and was significant, or if he found depth in someones point of view that was different from his own ~ then he would lay off and respect you with this element.
That is why he got the reputation for being a pain in the _ _ _, but with a heart of gold.
Memories of Rich that I will always cherish going back to the early days and moving up to the present would include:
First and foremost vacations that my family took. One of the earliest that we were just remembering last night at dinner, where the four older siblings (Lisa, Rich, Lori and myself) all less than 10 years old at the time drove to Florida with our parents in the back seat of a 67 Lincoln Town Car. It was our first family trip to Florida and I remember we were all very excited to take such a long journey from the NY/NJ area to Orlando.
As you can imagine our parents must have needed a stiff drink every night after dealing with the four of us all day long in an automobile. On this trip we collected fallen coconuts in the rain. My brother Rich, being the big brother, was happy to take charge in running through parks and properties collecting coconuts at my fathers prodding.
Its funny how certain events like this stick out in your mind, but you have to know that this experience was so different for all of us at the time and was very exciting to us.
On the same trip we visited Chicos Monkey Farm. The four siblings took turns holding a large python around our necks. We also each caught a case of head lice from the primates in the park that we apparently had gotten too close to. It was probably a blessing to the parents that our infestations did not become noticeable until we were home again and could get proper treatment.
This first trip to Florida, of course, included a visit to Disney World. Rich being the man-of-details-to-be memorized little facts from our trip even then ~ like the parking space the first time we went to the Magic Kingdom (i.e. Goofy 44 for those who dont remember).
The beautiful family experience on that first trip to Florida and Disney never left us and especially Rich.
When we got older, got married one at a time, our spouses were always amazed and a bit perplexed at the level of enthusiasm we had, and some would say fanaticism, with Disney.
I think it started with Rich and was maintained by him.
This was clear enough by all of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) website posting boards, where Rich was known nationally for debating and bringing much in the way of lively discussion to people across the country. We (my family) were all amazed when his passing was posted on this site, and immediately dozens and dozens of people and families responded with heartfelt sympathies and words of encouragement from all corners of the country. They even began to post Famous Rich Quotes showing just how much impact my brother had on so many people. There must be over 100 detailed responses, which were all quite colorful to say the least.
My wife Mary, my sisters and their husbands all exclaimed on many different occasions how Rich made everything more fun, more interesting, more memorable We had the pleasure of vacationing with Rich, Lisa and Jacqui after our youngest sister Nicole got married to Rick in December of 2001. My wife and I have been to Disney many times before and after that time, but Mary always pointed out just how much fun it was on that trip, because he enjoyed being there so much he made you enjoy it that much more
I could go on and on with many other stories that centered around Rich from the distant and recent past. But I think there is a more fun and lively way to do it is to have my sisters (Lisa and Nicole) run through some lists of things that Rich loved and things that Rich hated, since if you knew him you know that there was no in between or ambivalence with him when it came to having opinions So theyll take turns, one will say something he loved and the other will respond with something he disliked:
Things Rich Loved Things Rich Hated
Disney World DEMOCRATs (Dont Ever Make Our Constituents Realize Any Truth)
Rush Limbaugh Bill and Hillary Clinton
The Enquirer, US and Star Magazines The NY Times
Desserts that had at least 3 types of chocolate listed in the description No dessert
Thoughtful points of view Wishy/washy personalities
Making people blush Being politically correct or phony
Food No Food
Buttermilk biscuits Waiting for buttermilk biscuits (based on yet another outrageous Rich story)
Free compensations from Disney after putting up good arguments for how they let him down Arriving at the DVC resort to find everything in order so he could not complain and get a free perk
Getting poked in the stomach by Mary to do the Pillsbury dough boy impression No stomach pokes
Star Trek The Next Generation Sports TV
Tutoring Jacqui Tutoring Jacqui
Fine wood stair rails and woodwork Metal rails/sloppy workmanship
Spending time with Lisa and Jacqui Spending habits of Lisa and Jacqui
Pickled pigs feet yes, this is truly on the loved list Chili
Giving direction Taking direction
Following this light hearted review of Richs likes and dislikes his daughter Jacqui shared a few words on how great it was to have him as a father. Two work colleagues (Jay and Sam) came up and provided witness to Richs decency in his business dealings and the trust that they had for Rich. Finally, our sister Lori provided one final insight into how caring he was and how motivated he was to share his knowledge. Lori recounted a time when Rich was building his house across the street from hers, how he was laying down hardwood inlays into his flooring and was always teaching and showing Lori that hey you know you can do this. In addition, Lori recalled a time that Rich was teaching Jacqui and Keri algebra when they were 7 years old. Again, signifying Richs desire to share what he knew
Hopefully this will give you some insights into some of the details of Richs life which you may not have known.
All of these things do not sum up the LIFE of our brother, but do show how much he was loved and how much we will miss him
I will really miss his postings 
