Another Eulogy

This was circulating around MetLife by email. John Geyer also read most, if not all, of it in his speech. For anyone who wants copies of these things, here it is:

It is with deepest sympathy and heartfelt sadness that we share in the loss of a wonderful colleague and great friend, Rick Crittenden, who passed away over the weekend.

All who knew Rick recognized that he was a truly unique and special person. He possessed a rare combination of personal attributes. He was incredibly intelligent, most would say brilliant. In fact, some of us referred to him as a "walking encyclopedia". Yet he was enormously humble. He would prefer to deflect all attention to others. He was as warm as a newly baked loaf of bread and had a self deprecating sense of humor that painted a smile right across your face. He was a gifted communicator both in a cubicle or on a stage. We can recall someone once remarking that “they could listen to him forever”, with his soothing voice, relaying key facts and information in a way that made you really want to listen generously. He was a captivating story teller who could translate highly complex issues into simple, digestible concepts using analogies that were as clever as they were effective. We fondly referred to his in depth teachings or discussions as the “full Crittenden”. And he was very simple yet incredibly sophisticated. He would equally savor dining at Bucky's Bar-B-Q and debating the works of Chaucer. And while Rick cared passionately about those closest to him he would also find a minute in his very busy day to be a friend to anyone. He approached all situations with enormous empathy and was non-judgemental. Many of us counted on Rick for his sage advice and knew that we could ask him anything without fear of feeling, well, dumb.

And Rick was not afraid to take on a challenge. He was hired into MetLife in 2000 to drive the types of projects others run from. Rick's leadership ensured that both the Atlas/Ingenium project and the launch of the Critical Illness business were successful. In fact, his performance on these projects made it clear to all around him that he was the guy to shape our entire technology architecture moving forward. In 2005 Rick took responsibility for the IT Architecture group. With the precision and passion of a craftsman, Rick labored intensively over the details of our technology future. In two short years he built an IT architecture blueprint and an IT architecture team that will drive MetLife's success for years to come. But he never wanted anyone to think it was about him. He preferred to have us think that his deep insights were either obvious conclusions or the work of others. We did not fall for it Rick, not for a minute. We knew you were brilliant.

And with all of this we have not yet touched on Rick's true passion, music. Some knew that Rick was a musician by love and original trade. In college he was a music major and taught saxophone at Mansfield State. He blew the sax with the best of them backing up the likes of the Temptations, the Box Tops and with Bob Hope and many others. Once again, Rick preferred to be behind the scenes. But just like us, these entertainers knew that Rick was the straw that stirred the drink.

Yes, Rick was blessed with that rare combination of brilliance and humility. He was passionate about his family, loyal to his friends and committed to the success of MetLife. He was a teacher at heart with music in his soul. He made outstanding contributions to our organization and has left a legacy that will endure for many years. Those of us who were fortunate enough to have known Rick recognize that we are better people as a result.

May God bless Rick Crittenden.