Rich was born on September 17th, 1945 in San Francisco, CA. He was the only child of Leon and Olga Claverie.

Growing up in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, he was deeply connected to the Italian-American community. From an early age, he was a stand out basketball player, who would become one of the ten best players in the city during high school. In addition to school and sports, Rich also had a job as a delivery person for a local pharmacy. As an adult, he always beamed with a Tom Sawyer-esqu pride when talked about how he'd rent his route to other kids in the neighborhood when he was too busy to work.

After graduation from St. Ignatius, he headed to San Jose State University to study English. It was there that he'd meet his future wife, Merrilee. Following his time at San Jose State, he had a stint in the Army Reserves, where he would meet Bob Colombo, a lifelong friend, who ultimately married Merrilee's friend, Linda. 

School gave way to the real world, and Rich took a job in Evergreen School District, teaching and serving as a basketball and track coach. It would be hard to argue that, apart from his family, Rich was proudest of his time as a coach, more specifically, the students he mentored. It was a rare day that did not involve a story about one of his athletes, whether it was their day-to-day mischief, championship wins, or what they'd achieved later in life. After 34 years of teaching, he retired. Still, he was constantly reminded of the impact he made, as his former students would routinely approach him in the neighborhood to share stories or say thanks.

Since retiring from teaching/coaching in 2004, Rich spent his time playing golf, traveling the world, and spending time with his 4 beautiful grandchildren (Shaela, Colton, Parker, and Camden).