UB alum and multi-billion-dollar entrepreneur Robert E. Rich passed away peacefully last Wednesday at the age of 92, leaving behind a catalog of achievements almost as impressive as his approach to life.
Known as the father of UB's storied wrestling program, an avid football enthusiast and generous contributor, Rich's legacy in Western New York has not gone unnoticed.
"The individual contributions made by him are really quite extraordinary," said former UB president William Greiner, who knew Rich for more than 20 years. "From being committed to wrestling and football, to serving on the university council back when it was a private institution, he was a very loyal UB person."
As an undergraduate at UB over 60 years ago, Rich was a center on the football team. His true passion, however, was wrestling. Unfortunately for the young Rich, there was no wrestling program.
"Rich started the program on basically $100 or $150," said current wrestling head coach Jim Beichner. "They bought some new uniforms, started competing, and were successful right away, which he felt really good about."
However, being the founder and program's first coach program was only Rich's start. He went on to become an innovator to an entire industry in the niche of non-dairy products and frozen foods.
Rich built the multi-billion-dollar enterprise of Rich Products Corporation, and was responsible for the first non-dairy whipped topping in 1945 as well as many other soy-based products still used today. Throughout his success, Rich stayed loyal to Western New York. The entrepreneur made countless contributions to charities and organizations.
"A lot of things that he did, he didn't even put his name on," Beichner said. "If he built a wing on a certain hospital, he didn't name it the 'Bob Rich Wing.' He did a lot of things anonymously and just because it was the right thing to do."
One award that stands as an exception to Rich's anonymous contributions is the Bob Rich Outstanding Wrestler Award, which is always given to the best wrestler of the year.
Rich also headed an attempt to bring Buffalo a Major League Baseball team, though he quickly found it would have been too difficult to compete with the Toronto Blue Jays' fan base. He did see possible success in a minor league ball club, which led the Rich family to develop of the Buffalo Bison's AAA franchise.
With such a long list of sports-related accomplishments, Rich was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and the UB Athletics Hall of Fame in 1966.
Many of the qualities Rich maintained were uncharacteristic of the stereotypical billionaire. Wrestling coach emeritus Edward Michael called Rich a warm and engaging a person who made life better for everyone associated with him.
"Rich was a very humble man and very easy to talk to," Michael said. "Some of the things dearest to him, most of us would consider mundane, things like coaching the Harvard Cup Championship high school team. These things were important to him and this man was a multi-billionaire, one of the 400 richest men in the world."
People closest to him each had a different positive image of Rich's personality. While Michael commented on the caring aspect of Rich's personality, Greiner reflected on Rich as a highly intelligent man who, though proud of what he had accomplished, was very unassuming.
"A real straight-shooting fella," Greiner said. "He made friendships for life and he was very loyal to his friends."
