Remembering a friend

Rich Firato

It is with a very heavy heart that I share of the sudden passing of my friend Rich Firato. I met Rich back in 2006 when I was an overzealous security professional venturing into real estate and facilities for the first time. Rich was a legacy vendor partner to the company that had just hired me. Initially, I mistook his apparent concern for my needs as a sales tactic. However, as the months and years went by, I came to realize that his genuine character was a true reflection of who he was.

When, years later, my job was eliminated in a reduction of personnel, Rich was the first to call me and schedule a lunch. He made an effort to console, encourage, and support me through that tough time, even suggesting ways to bring me into his company to help support my family with small children.

Over the years, our relationship deepened, and I came to see Rich as a community organizer, a philanthropist involved in several charitable endeavors, and the epitome of the adage about a friend who would give the shirt off his back for another.

They don’t make men like Rich anymore. My dear friend, Rich, you will be truly missed. The community and industry will not be the same without you. I pray that the Lord God grants you rest and peace in paradise, and that those of us who knew you learn from your example how to treat others and keep your memory alive. May God keep and bless those who survive you.