Obituary of Mr. Richard M. Froehlich

September 24, 2021

Richard Froehlich passed away suddenly of cardiac arrest on Friday, September 24th. He is predeceased by his husband, Dr. Joseph DiVito, who passed away five months to the day before Richard's passing. Richard embraced life, love, and family. His absence will be felt heavily by all who knew him and those whose lives were improved by the impact of his work.

Richard is survived by his siblings and in-laws: Steven and Linda Froehlich, Charles and Gail Froehlich, Alan and Jodi Cohn, Jo Ann Cohn, Shari and Martin Cohn-Simmen, Vivien and Tom Barcia, Barry and Deborah Cohn, Jennifer and Colin Marsh, Thomas DiVito; his nieces and nephews and their partners in life: Jennifer, Lindsay and Michael Cohen, Betty and Jocelyn Cohn, Hannah Cohn-Simmen, Michael Barcia, Eric and Athena Froehlich, Sam Cohn and Joey Martin, Andrew and Christina Froehlich, Anthony Cirranello, Tim O'Loughlin, David and Vanessa Barcia, Adam and Ariel Cohn, and Isaac Froehlich; his grand-nieces and nephews: Makenna and Harrison Barcia, Anna-Cate and Chelsea Grace Froehlich; as well as uncles, aunts, and cousins: Audrey and Charlie Falk, Bernice and Bob Szita, Arthur, Judy, Noah, Jeremy, and Kaila Falk, Rogerio, Naomi, and Joshua Falk.

Richard joined the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) as General Counsel in 2003 and was promoted several times to his last position as First Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, where he directed the Corporation's bond finance and operating activities. Richard has been a primary coordinator of HDC's award-winning preservation efforts that have led to the continued affordability of over 140,000 units of low and middle-income housing in New York City. He has also been a leader in designing and implementing HDC's participation in Mayor Bill De Blasio's Housing New York plan to build and preserve 300,000 units of affordable housing in New York City. Richard was a member of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, a self-regulatory organization created under the Federal Securities Act Amendments of 1975 to regulate the municipal finance industry, for a four-year term until October 1, 2018. Richard was also elected to the board of the National Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies in 2014 and served as its President.

Richard's work with NYCHDC was a source of great pride for him. He knew that his work was important, that he brought tremendous expertise to the task, and that his contributions mattered, improving the lives of New York Citizens.

Richard was also the consummate teacher, bringing his vast knowledge of public and affordable housing finance into the classroom as an adjunct associate professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation where he taught courses on affordable housing finance and public finance.

Prior to joining HDC, Richard was a Counsel at the law offices of O'Melveny & Meyers LLP where he was involved in numerous multi-family housing transactions representing equity investors, lenders, credit enhancers, and issuers in bond-financed transactions. He was a 1988 graduate of Columbia University School of Law and a 1985 graduate of Columbia University's Columbia College.

Rich had a passion for the arts and particularly for music, a passion he lived in his commitment to the Stonewall Chorale, which he joined in 1991. He was honored in 2019 for his long tenure with the Chorale, as he was one of the longest-serving members.

Rich also enjoyed traveling with his husband Joe all across the United States and Europe, and though they both enjoyed the historical, cultural, and natural splendors of their travels, their most frequent and important travels were to see family and friends. Rich was gregarious and generous. He was a great listener, a problem solver, and, when that skill was needed, a peacemaker, who always kept the big picture in mind—the love of family and friends.

These skills were never more evident when Joe received a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Rich provided unwavering support while they navigated their way through this difficult journey. The love and grace they shared and showed through this time have left an unforgettable impact on everyone they knew.

A memorial celebration for family and close friends will be held on Thursday, September 30, at 11 am at Greenwich Village Funeral Home. A zoom broadcast of the funeral will be available at https://njea.zoom.us/j/99586082813 Meeting ID: 995 8608 2813

The funeral will be followed by a public gravesite burial at Wellwood Cemetery (West Babylon) at 2:30 pm.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts please consider supporting any of the following: New Destiny, an organization aiding survivors of domestic violence, the Stonewall Chorale, two organizations that Rich supported consistently over the years, or the SUNY Downstate Joseph DiVito M.D. Scholarship and Education Fund.



Here is the zoom invitation for Rich's memorial services.

This link should work for both the morning service 10:30 to Noon) and the afternoon service from the Graveside (2:15 to 4:00).
*Times are approximate*


Topic: Memorial Celebration for Richard Froehlich

Time: Sep 30, 2021 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://njea.zoom.us/j/99586082813

Meeting ID: 995 8608 2813

Funeral Services