We’ve Lost a Good Friend: Remembering BMI Associate Publisher Richard Krzys

The Krzys family owns and runs Benjamin Media Inc. (BMI) Today, that mostly means founder Bernie and his son, president Rob Krzys, pushing the company to new levels of success. But when I started, Richard Krzys (everyone called him Dick) was a pivotal part of making the company thrive, diversify and become a growing, well respected publishing house. It’s with a sad heart that we announce the passing of the former associate publisher, 75, after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Dick — brother to BMI founder Bernie and uncle to Rob — was an integral member of the BMI family and respected member of the close-knit trenchless technology community for many years. The trenchless market is where BMI got its start in publishing and conferences.

Dick was a graduate of General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) with an electrical engineering degree. He went on to get a master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University. He joined BMI in 1995, when it was called Trenchless Technology Inc., after many years working in engineering and plant management in manufacturing and as an independent consultant. His primary duties included overseeing the then-fledgling company’s production, circulation and conferences departments — no small task.

“In the early years, my focus was on the sales and editorial side of the company,” said Bernie, who founded Trenchless Technology magazine in 1992. “Dick took on the difficult job of putting our circulation together and growing it, as well as making sure the magazine was printed. Later on, we expanded into trenchless educational field seminars. I’ll never forget the first year we held our HDD Rodeo. Dick, Rob and I were in the field the final day in the mud, rain and wind measuring the crew bore holes.”

Dick loved to watch all sports and was an avid history buff, as BMI employees who traveled with him to our Rehab Road Shows can attest. “Traveling to the show site was never a straight shot with Dick at the wheel,” Rob says. “We always had to stop and see a historical site along the way.”

He stepped down from BMI in 2012. Yet in retirement he stayed in touch with the trenchless industry by taking on the role of executive director of the Ohio HDD Association (now called the Great Lakes Trenchless Association). He is survived by: his wife Mary, whom he married on July 11, 1964; two sons; two daughters; his brothers Bernie and Mike; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Donations are asked to be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014 or online at michaeljfox.org.

Keith Gribbins, Associate Publisher
kgribbins@benjaminmedia.com