CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A flight attendant who was killed in the midair collision last week near the nation’s capital was set to be remembered for his devotion to family and passion for travel on Wednesday, as Ian Epstein's family and others start to hold memorials for loved ones who were among the 67 victims in the deadliest U.S. air disaster since 2001.
The celebration of life for Epstein is taking place at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Charlotte. The 53-year-old was a loving father, stepfather, husband, brother and uncle, with a career that afforded him the opportunity to connect with people and explore the world, his obituary said.
“He leaves behind a legacy of kindness, adventure, and love,” the obituary continued.
A public vigil was also planned Wednesday to honor all of the lives lost following the collision between the American Airlines passenger jet and the Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The crash killed everyone on board both aircraft.
Prior to leading Epstein's service, Rabbi Yossi Groner said people had been sharing online videos of Epstein in their encounters with him as a flight attendant because of his funny style and engaging words. Groner said that although those who lost loved ones in the collision face unfathomable pain, the soul is eternal and the victims didn't live a life in vain.
"The message is that whatever they accomplished in life, the positive things they did, that we would like to carry on for the future and know that there will be a better world in the future,” Groner told The Associated Press.
The services come a day after federal officials confirmed that the remains of all of the victims have been recovered. The cause of the crash, which sent both aircraft into the Potomac River, remains under investigation. All but one of victims has been identified.
Sixty passengers and four crew were on the American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, including figure skaters returning from the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships there.
The Black Hawk was on a training mission. Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland; and Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, of Durham, North Carolina, were aboard.
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Jonathan Mattise contributed from Nashville, Tennessee.
