Coming Home

Thank you so much for including me. My love and prayers are with you all. -frannie

I am thinking of you all. I will always be grateful for Fred's (and the rest of the family's) hospitality when I would visit Becky at the Cape during the family's summer vacation. My prayers are with you all. Vivian (Preston Dole - Becky's friend from Tufts)

Dennis Hallahan: Fred is such a brilliant man and weI love brilliant people. We are so happy that we know Fred and Sara; we absolutely love our times that we have shared. Give Fred a kiss for us. Dennis and Steph

Thank you for keeping us all in the loop while you spend this time with Fred. My heart is with you all. Love, Elaine

At this time, when your hearts are so heavy, It was very kind of you to update and include us, who care so much about Fred (and Sara) and value their friendship. I have always been a Fred-admirer. My first encounters with him were through ACLU; he reasoned and spoke in a more lawyerly manner than any lawyer there. Our ACLU relationship grew into a friendship to the point where our daughter, Rubyn, wanted to adopt Fred as a grandfather so she could become eligible to attend spring training with him. So many memories--and all good. Probably the test of a friendship of five was when we formed a consortium to purchase a cond-op. To make a very long story short, Fred and Sara own that unit and our friendship only grew. Gary's and my thoughts and prayers are with you. Sheila Greenbaum

It is difficult to imagine Fred sleeping through anything especially a family gathering. He probably is listening and giving his opinion, albeit silently. I am thinking about you all as I especially have these last weeks. Many memories of weekends at the river cabin, celebrating his 80th birthday in New Orleans, dinners debating the hot topics of the times (and the ACLU leadership issues) and his always perceptive insights and advice. Love, Marilyn

It's difficult to imagine that 65 years of wry "Oh, yeah?", and "Ace !" and cherished friendship may be drawing to a close, but as these notes illuminate, we are all celebrating a life lived admirably. With love and empathy, Ken.

Fred has meant so much to me over the years. He gently guided me as a new executive director when I arrived at the ACLU/EM. He provided me with wise counsel on countless occasions and he and Sara treated me like family at their home and summer place. I will always cherish the generosity he showed me and the example he set as a community leader and all-around mensch. <3 to Fred, Sara and the whole family. Xoxo Deborah Jacobs

I am so so sorry to hear this news. One of my favorite memories of Fred, Becky's dad, is when I used to come over to her house when I was little and he would shake my hand uncontrollably, saying, "Hi, Amy Lubowitzer! Nice to see you Amy Lubowitzer!" and I would just laugh. You all are in my thoughts and prayers. Amy

Both of us are so grateful to have had Fred as a constant in our lives. His acts of kindness and thoughtfulness, from teaching Jo to drive to helping Carl launch his second career, are too numerous to list. There were all those lively discussions over good dinners, lovely weekends as guests in their Ozark cabin, and the sharing of so many family events. We send you all our love in this most sad and difficult time. Carl and Jo Seltzer

I have such fond memories of Fred. He is a wonderful person and was a kind, patient, and caring boss and friend to me and my family through the 30+ years I have known him. He taught me so much through the years as we worked together, without him realizing that he was teaching me. I learned invaluable life lessons by just watching and observing the way he deals with people and life situations--with such kindness, grace and dignity. My thoughts and prayers are with Fred, Sara, Becky, David, Ted, Michael, Betsy and Beryl at this time. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. Fondly, Joan

My first shared experience with Fred was driving to Jefferson City to fight to have child care licensing for the safety of all children. That was many years ago, and we have yet to accomplish our goal. I did, however, make a lifelong friend as a fellow advocate in child care and then the ACLU. Fred, I will fight on for both of us. I was privileged to get to know Becky at the ACLU and then Cultural Leadership and her girls who occasionally helped out at Developmental Child Care until they were picked up by their proud grandfather. My heart is with you all. I thank you for keeping us in the loop. Terry Bloomberg

Fred and I were close friends for nearly 75 years so I cannot express the sadness that your news has brought. He is one of the finest person I have known. A good and loyal friend, a wonderful family man, a civic leader, a fighter for the underdog as his many years with ACLU attest, great sense of humor-liked my puns-and just a totally fine human being. We spent many an hour together walking the beaches in Florida during our sacred spring training week discussing if not solving the problems of the world. I will miss him so.

Sara and family, Elsy and I are so sad to hear this news, delivered in the usual classy Epstein way. Fred has always been such a good and constructively caring friend, and such an admirable character in so many ways. Our thoughts and deepest good wishes are with you and our dear friend, Paul Wagman

Fred was a dear friend of my mother's at MIT. She told us children that Fred saved her when she was poor and had no money for food. He took her to dinner. One time he took her to Durgin Park in Boston and as he told the story.. he thought he was getting off cheap when she said she just wanted Rhode Island Clam Chowder. Turns out it was RED sauce not the typical white sauce and required three chefs.. ingredients flown in from Boston.. and cost a fortune (embellishments continuing to be added on each time the story was told). The last time I saw Fred a few years ago he told me the story of the $100 bowl of clam chowder. We had so many wonderful times with Fred in Boston, Cape Cod, Florida - many family weddings and taking any opportunity to reconnect as we kids got older. I always enjoyed every minute with Fred - his smile just made you laugh - and his outlook on life to me always seemed that he was just tickled pink to "be there" , to have his lovely wife Sara and wonderful children and grandchildren. He just always seemed to love what he had and had excitement for what was next. I treasure all of those memories with him and with all of you Epsteins. All my wishes for comfort during this time.

Fred. You have always been my favorite dinner date at spring training! I am sending love to you all. Bronwen

My prayers and thoughts are with you during this tough time.

We are on a small boat going through Alaska inside passage. We briefly got cell phone service and are in shock. I have wonderful pictures in my head of Spring Training dinner and the four of us exploring St L restaurants. I have a specific picture of the four of us at a Cardinal game at Busch Stadium. Fred and I are wearing the "Cardinal" Easter hats that given free to the women. Sending love to everyone. Ben Senturia

So many others have written so eloquently about Fred and we have shared some of the special life celebrations and more intimate ones, but I have this vivid memory of Fred at the symphony this past year. He was in the section below us, and I could not do stairs..(am currently recovering from knee replacement surgery). Fred was already quite frail, but he pulled himself up stairs and sat on a stair to chat during intermission. It was such a generous act of kindness. I am glad to have seen him briefly just a few weeks ago when I visited Sara off to lunch with Michael and his lovely wife...and coming home delighted with their purchases from the Hill...still engaged in life. Tom joins me in sending our love and prayers for a peaceful time surrounded b his loving family. Madge Treeger

Fred, welcoming us with Sara to their beautiful new condo, showing us the incredible views all around, serving up the spareribs with gusto, keeping us laughing, even though he may not have been feeling so hot....Fred, we love you and are glad you are resting peacefully with your family all around you. Jane & Tom Mendelson

Ken Sonnenschein At birth, I became Fred’s first cousin once removed. Days later, I became Fred’s Godson. Years later, I became Fred’s friend. Throughout all these 51 years, Fred has been an inspiration and guide. I pray for strength and healing for Fred and all dear family and friends.

Susan Rabinovitch..To me Fred. Was always the anchor and the beacon of a wonderful loving family.His strength of character and his incredible capacity to share and be part of every aspect of extended family made him so special,and unique.We all thought he'd be there forever and maybe he will be.Because we all have such positively strong memories I'm sure they will last forever.May his immediate family know that we share their loss,but also that we also know how blessed they were.to have had him setting the markers for being An exceptional role model.

Cheryl and I can't grasp how much we will miss Fred, and we can't begin to list the ways we appreciate knowing him. His life is virtually the story of Bob's life, since MoVTY days and on and on. What a fine, noble person! So much integrity, dignity, love of Judaism at its best, devotion to public good.... Sara, Beckie, David, Michael, Ted, and the rest of the family, our hearts are with you.

Susan and I send our love and sympathy to Sara and the Epstein children. We, the community of Fred's friends, and the greater community impacted by Fred, have lost a dear friend and an engaged and effective leader. John & Susan Rava