In Memoriam: Rick Frisbie

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We are saddened to share that a longtime supporter of the Foundation, Rick Frisbie, passed away on November 5.

Rick Frisbie
Rick Frisbie

Mr. Frisbie spent his career as a distinguished executive in the financial industry, working most recently for Morgan Stanley as a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Management Director.

He attended Randolph Macon Academy in Front Royal, Virginia, and completed his undergraduate studies at Washington & Lee University. He went on to earn his MBA from The University of Virginia (UVA) Darden School of Business.

Following graduation, Mr. Frisbie served as an officer in the US Army and received the Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service. After three years in the Army, he transitioned to the financial industry, where he remained for the rest of his career.

In 2020, Rick was asked why he was passionate about focused ultrasound, he replied, “Since I’ve been involved with the Foundation, I have witnessed the amazing growth of the field. The potential of it all excites me, and the positive impact it could have on mankind is remarkable.”

A true advocate for the Foundation’s mission, Mr. Frisbie and his wife, Barbara, hosted an awareness event in Northern Virginia in 2014, where more than 100 attendees learned about focused ultrasound. Since that time, their unwavering support helped introduce many more people to the technology.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Frisbie was diagnosed with a deadly glioblastoma brain tumor in 2021, for which there are no effective treatments. She was able to participate in a focused ultrasound clinical trial at UVA, and she shared her story with us in July 2021. Although she passed away just over one year later, the hope is that her courage to take part in a clinical trial helped to advance the field further.

“Rick and Barbara truly understood the power of focused ultrasound to improve lives and the value of advancing medical research,” said Foundation chairman, Neal F. Kassell, MD. “Though it is impossible to say how long the trial extended her life, I will always be immensely grateful to the Frisbies for their unwavering support — both in the Foundation’s work and of the technology’s potential to impact patients’ lives for the better.”