Community Mourns Loss Of Retired NJ, PA Couple Killed In Surfside Building Collapse

A couple with ties to the Philadelphia area and the Jersey Shore were among the dozens of victims killed in the Surfside, Florida building collapse.

Bonnie and David Epstein
Photo Credit: *Friends of Bonnie GWHS 82 (original source unknown)*

Cecilia Levine

07/07/2021 5:47 p.m.

David and Bonnie Epstein were on the 9th floor of the Champlain Towers South with their dog, Chase, loved ones say. They previously lived in Bucks County, PA and Brooklyn, NY, and spent summers in Ventnor, NJ, according to 6abc.

David and Bonnie had one child, 26-year-old Jonathan, their pride and joy, according to David's business partner, Richard Oller.

Jonathan penned a heartfelt tribute to his parents on Facebook.

David and Bonnie moved to Florida to enjoy the perks of retirement together, Oller said.

"At 57 they had both became obsessed with the water," Oller writes. "David is a passionate kite boarder. They both love jet skiing and scuba diving."

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the Epsteins built a home together on a Caribbean island.

"David loved novels, history, politics, and quantum mechanics," he said. "A brilliant Wharton graduate, who spent his career in the real estate business, mostly with me, David sometimes fantasizes about a second career teaching philosophy at Penn, his proclaimed true passion."

David and Bonnie only had one child, Jonathan: Their pride and joy, according to Oller. They were planning to drive up the East Coast to spend the Fourth of July with him.

Last Wednesday was the last time Oller spoke to David.

"While the brave fire fighters and emergency service workers continue to search through the rubble for David and Bonnie and a 100 others, I can’t seem to find optimism.

"My thoughts are all over the map. My heart is broken and pounds for Johnathan and David’s sister Barbara.

"Through my deep sadness, my only comfort is knowing that on Wednesday, David was the happiest man I know, and he and Bonnie are still together. Perhaps that's a lesson I can learn from my former intern, partner and dear friend. Perhaps it's a lesson we can all learn."

Bonnie's former classmates at the George Washington High School (Class of 82) created a Facebook page in her memory, where dozens of people expressed condolences.

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