In Memoriam by Chris Chin L'98, delivered at memorial service 12/22/01

            Most people probably think that Bob and I met at Lawrenceville – even thought so well into our Lawrenceville careers. But in actuality, we met almost two years earlier in cyberspace. A 12 year-old adolescent, trying to get my grubby little paws on some pirated software, I stumbled accross Bob’s BBS, a.k.a. Bulletin Board System, for you non techies. He called his BBS Heaven. Heaven was Bob’s computer, which he left open to the public to dial into, creating a community where people could share their experiences, their ideas, and yes, their pirated software. That was my first encounter with Bob, and now looking back, I think it shows a theme of his unfairly interrupted life – he always gave himself, often using his vast technical skill, to help others.
            Upon arriving at Lawrenceville, being the only two hardcore computer geeks in the second form, we were instantly drawn to each other. Since being at boarding school in 1994 meant you had to give up your connection to the internet, I remember, Bob, a day student, would often bring me the latest programs on floppies for me to try out. Likewise, from the Online Edition of the Lawrence to photography to supercharging cars, he often led the way, sharing with me his passions, which then became mine.
            I recall, Bob was President and CEO of BSI Enterprises, a fictitious company he ran out of his room, or rather the second floor suite of 237 Emerald Drive. And while I also had my own fictitious company, he put his to a creative good use – obtaining complementary subscriptions to expensive computer journals. How they believed Bob had 500 employees out of a 2^nd floor suite, I will never know. I guess he was very convincing. But I do know that we shared with each other our passion for entrepreneurship, and I was always looking forward to the idea of starting a company together.
            Bob cared deeply for his friends, going out of his way and dedicating hours and hours of hard work into making our lives special. In addition to organizing pre and post graduation get-togethers to ensure we stayed together, he created an incredible multimedia CD-ROM during our senior year to make certain we would not forget the experiences we had with each other. I want to return the favor: I’ve started www.bobfrezza.org, a website memorial. But I can’t do this alone, so I call upon all of you – if you have pictures or stories, please let me add them to the website, so that we can share our experiences with each other, but more importantly let the Frezza family know just how much their son meant to us.
            Bob’s affection for his friends shined on a personal level as well. When I was 14, my father passed away from a diabetes related heart failure, and Bob was there for me. And I’ll never forget his consoling me on my cell phone, while I watched the car he lent me go up in flames and a small fire truck zip into the underground parking lot of the san Francisco Marriott, extinguish it, and zip away, returning order to chaos. Sorry about that, buddy.
            Lastly, just a few weeks ago, I was featured in an article in Brown’s newspaper, and immediately after the article was published, Bob sent me an email saying “Really cool!” Asking him how he happened up the article, he replied simply, “just surfing around.” I guess he was checking up on me. Bob, you were a great friend who’s caring and never-ending thoughtfulness I will always cherish in my heart. You inspired, motivated, and taught me to excel in what I do – I owe you so much for being such a grand influence on who I am today and who I will eventually become. And while it saddens me deeply that we can no longer share any new experiences, your memory will forever affect my life greatly, even from your giant Bulletin Board System in the sky.