Richard died on October 22nd at age 36 in his parents' home in Coram, NY. From the day in July, 1996 when he was first diagnosed with a brain tumor, he and his family fought a monumental struggle for his survival. It was Richard's wish that after his death, his family and friends carry on the struggle against - and propagate the awareness of - the devastating effect of primary brain tumors, which are the second leading cause of cancer death in children under 15 and young adults up to age 34.

Richard graduated in 1979 from North Shore High School and a year later was crowned as the NY State Collegiate Tennis Champion. From there, he went on to play professional tennis all over the world and eventually settled into a business career in Europe, embracing their culture and becoming fluent in German and French. He graduated from Webster University in Vienna, Austria with an MBA and worked for Hewlett-Packard and Oracle Corporation. He was living in Geneva, Switzerland when he was first diagnosed with brain cancer and, as Richard put it, "plunged suddenly into a terrifying dark cave".

Richard loved music, his friends and his family with great passion.

Click here to read about Richard's medical history during his battle with a brain tumor.

Brain tumor research is severely under funded and it is for this reason that any donations are needed. They can  be sent to either:

 
The Healing Exchange BRAIN TRUST Inc.
186 Hampshire Street 2nd floor
Cambridge, MA 02139-1320
(checks payable to T.H.E. BRAIN TRUST, Inc.)

or

Musella Foundation for Brain Tumor Research & Information
1100 Peninsula Road
Hewlett NY 11557
(checks payable to The Musella Foundation)