2021 Remembering Brother Rich Cudina by Brother Paul Groben

September 11, 2021

It was a fall day in 1973. I had just pledged EBT a short time ago. I made plans with one of my new Brothers, Rich Cudina, to meet in NYC to go to a concert. “We were gathered separate sons. Pledged together into one.” As carefree as we were, we did not have plans to set a meeting place, just outside the concert hall in NYC, and I had the tickets.  It never occurred to us that we had not set a place to meet and NYC was a big, crowded place.  Being young and careless we just went ahead with our plans.  Miraculously, as I arrived just a block from the concert hall, I was stopped at a light.  Who walks in front of my car but Rich Cudina. I called, “Hi Rich”, he got in and we proceeded to enjoy a great concert, of which I cannot even remember the name of the group.  This was my fondest memory of Rich. We did not keep in touch. Then 9/11 came and I became informed that Rich was at the top of one of the towers.  He did not survive.

On this, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, I share this memory with Sigma Beta Tau as a tribute to Rich and a tribute to the bonds that EBT forges for a lifetime.