Couple who summered in Ventnor, NJ, die in Fla. condo collapse

A couple with a summer home on the Jersey Shore has been was confirmed as having died in the collapsed Champlain Towers South condo, according to their only child.

Jonathan Epstein wrote on his Facebook page that the remains of his parents David, 58, and Bonnie Epstein, 56 were recovered and on Saturday.

The 26-year-old told 6 ABC Action News that his parents, married 31 years, sold their home in Holland Township in Bucks County several years ago and split their time between Brooklyn, Surfside and Ventnor City.

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"Thank you to everyone for your kind words over this impossible week, my parents were really the best and it’s been so comforting to relive the joy of their lives through the testimony of friends and loved ones," Johnathan Epstein wrote.

David's former business partner, Richard Oller, wrote that the Epsteins lived on the ninth floor of Champlain Towers. The couple delayed returning for the summer to Ventnor to spend time with Jonathan because their recently adopted dog Chance wasn't feeling well, Oller wrote. He recounted what turned out to be their final conversation the day before the collapse.

"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," Oller wrote.

A funeral for David and Bonnie is scheduled for Monday at Joseph Levine & Son in Trevose, Pennsylvania.

"In lieu of any gifts, please consider supporting Saving the Blue, a marine wildlife conservation non-profit to which my mom and dad were deeply dedicated," Jonathan said.

Pictures of Benny & Malky Weiss and her father Harry Rosenberg on the Wall of Hope and Memorial in Surfside (Lakewood Scoop)

There's no word on the other known New Jersey couple in the condo, Benny and Malky Weiss, of Lakewood. They were visiting her father Harry Rosenberg at the time of the collapse. The Lakewood Scoop reported Thursday afternoon Rosenberg's body was identified and removed from the rubble.

Fifty-four people have been confirmed dead with 86 unaccounted for as of Thursday morning. New Jersey's Task Force 1 search and rescue team is part of what is now a recovery mission.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

Deadly condo tower collapse in Florida

A wing of a 12-story beachfront condo building collapsed with a roar in a town outside Miami early Thursday, June 24, trapping residents in rubble and twisted metal. (AP Photos)

Olympic athletes from NJ competing in Tokyo 2021

After the pandemic sidelined world-class athletes in 2020, at least 18 Olympic contenders with New Jersey roots have qualified for the Tokyo Olympic games. Some are returning after an appearance in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016 — while others find themselves in their first Olympics.

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