Comments from Rob’s father Bob Trice

Good afternoon and welcome. For those who don’t know me, I’m Bob Trice, Rob’s dad. And on behalf of his mom Susan, sister Samantha, wife Wendy and Wendy’s mom Robbie Millet, I want to thank each and every one of you for being here with us today. We cannot express just how vital your love and support have been in getting us through these last three months.

But this is a day of celebration. Our agenda begins with three very brief perspectives on Rob, representing different aspects of his life that many of us might not know much about: First, Samantha will tell us what it was like to be Rob’s sister; then Jamie Greene will reflect on being one of Rob’s closest friends from teenagers until the day Rob passed; and finally Darwin Melnyk will say a few words about Rob, both as a dear friend as well as an ag tech entrepreneur.

We are blessed to have a large number of powerful and respected tribes assembled here today in Arlington. In addition to the Millet, Hoffman, Trice, Saulmon, Anglim, Mitchell and Gabler families, we have friends here from the likes of Lockheed Martin and Stifel corporations, wonderful Non-Governmental Organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, TomKat Ranch, Rob’s Mixing Bowl and Better Food Ventures, and Vinson Hall Retirement Community, and still others representing that rather loose alliance of university clans, ranging from Wisconsin Badgers to Ohio State Buckeyes to Harvard Crimson to members of the William and Mary Tribe and, I have it on good authority, a particularly strong band of Virginia Cavaliers.

Our hope is that over the next several hours, while partaking of food and drink, enjoying the slide show, watching the moving tribute to Rob from the floor of the California Senate, enjoying the dry but cool outdoor terrace and munching on Rob’s favorite Peanut M&Ms, you will not only reinforce your existing tribal ties, but also reach out to others who may have far different remembrances of Rob.

Sometime after 3:00 we’ll begin winding down this shindig by charging our glasses for a collective toast to memories of Rob. And for those who would like to share their particular memories, you’ll find cards and pens on the table by the entrance. You may drop the cards in the wooden box near the door as you depart.

At this point I want to recognize one more tribe that’s here. One that has been incredibly important to both Rob and me. And that’s the Rugby Nation, which is represented here today by lifelong friends from Ohio State, Scioto Valley, Sud Americano de Rugby, Potomac Athletic Club and, once again, UVA. Somewhere in this slide deck is one of my favorite photos. It’s a post-match picture from March 1978, 39 years ago. Rob’s in his muddy blue and orange striped UVA jersey and I’m wearing a red winter jacket. At that time I was approaching 42 years of age and playing the Sud Americano Old Boys, or SOBs. Through Rob, then age 21, we challenged UVA’s “A” team, their first side, to an early season match in Charlottesville. We met on a Saturday on the pitch in historic Mad Bowl, right off Rugby Road in the heart of campus, under the gaze of the Rotunda and surrounded by all those large, elegant fraternity houses. But while picturesque, it turned out to be a miserable, cold, windy, rainy day that quickly turned Mad Bowl into Mud Bowl. The SOBs ultimately prevailed, once again proving the adage that, in rugby, guile, experience and treachery, particularly with a little help from the weather gods, can occasionally overcome the advantages of youth, speed and strength. That was the last rugby game I ever played, and the after-match beers I shared with Rob were, I remember, the most delicious I ever tasted. I think there may even be a few teammates from that 1987 SOB-UVA match here in the house today. May God bless the entire Rugby Nation.

Finally, before I turn the podium over to Samantha, we want to give a special shout-out to those few who did so much to make today possible: Susan’s sisters, Conchita Mitchell and Sarah “Sally” Gabler; Katie Grimble of the Mixing Bowl; Ed Neunlist, our court photographer; and Martina from Washington Golf. Many, many tanks from all of us for your Herculean efforts.