2008 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee
Rich was born in Brooklyn, and moved to Queens and then to Nassau County where he got his first exposure to organized basketball. He returned to Queens and resided in Corpus Christi Parish, in Woodside.
During his senior year at McClancy, he was part of the backcourt combination that included Ray Keane, another hall of Famer. Rich was selected as an All-City CHSAA guard after his senior season. Frank Locastro, his classmate, remembers Rich as one of the quickest guards in the CHSAA and recalls that he was a deadly passer. He also participated in baseball and track while at McClancy. The McClancy Athletic Department honored Rich by having his St. Francis College jersey being that school’s first alumni’s college jerseys to be displayed in the school.
Rich went to St. Francis College on a basketball scholarship where he continued his education and basketball career. He led the team to a berth in the 1963 National Invitational Tournament and with Ray Nash, his backcourt teammate, gave St. Francis a solid backcourt combo. He has won many other awards including the “outstanding Senior Athlete” at St. Francis, an award given to candidates from all sports.
Rich and his wife, Jennifer, have five children (Jennifer, Kirsten, Rich, Martha, and Lowell). He is retired as a Vice President at Henry Schein, Inc., a publicly traded company located on Long Island.