Joel J. Epstein ’74 died January 8, 2015, in Congers, New York. 

He was born on January 23, 1952, in New York City to Morton and Charlotte (Isreal) Epstein. Epstein prepared for college at Clarkstown Central High School in New City, NY. At Bowdoin, he contributed to the Orient and the Bugle and attended Vassar as part of the Twelve College Exchange Plan. Epstein later joined the Army and attended the Language Institute in Monterey, CA, where he became a Russian language specialist. He owned Lock, Stock, & Barrel Restaurant in Bardonia, NY, for twenty-three years and also worked for the Town of Clarkstown as a code enforcer and community liaison for fourteen years. He is survived by his wife, Tamara; two children, Max and Ava; his sister, Rachelle Epstein; and his brother, Jesse Epstein.