Michael David "Mike" Epstein

Michael David Epstein, loving husband and father to two daughters, passed away peacefully at his home in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, surrounded by family, on May 31, 2025, after a valiant 17-month battle with glioblastoma. He was 59 years old.

Mike grew up in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, and attended Cynwyd Elementary, Bala Cynwyd Middle School, and Lower Merion High School. He went on to Tufts University, where he majored in history, graduated phi beta kappa, served as editor-in-chief of The Tufts Daily newspaper, and was the recipient of the prestigious Wendell Phillips Award, which earned him the honor of giving the student commencement speech at graduation. Following college, Mike attended Yale Law School, where he liked to say he was the least accomplished student, but where he introduced a lot of very smart people to the concept of jello shots and air guitar.

After graduating from Yale, Mike returned to Philadelphia, where he promptly met his future wife Kaethe, who couldn't resist his boyish charms. Kaethe and Mike married in 1993 and had two daughters, Alison and Jessie, of whom Mike was eternally proud. Mike embraced the role of dad and was as involved a father as there can be, reading to the girls every night from a very early age, teaching them to enjoy a little rough-housing, and introducing them to all of his favorite music and movies. Anyone who knows Mike knows that, from his own youth, he had an extraordinary passion for (and encyclopedic knowledge about) Bruce Springsteen. As a result, the girls were singing and dancing to Springsteen as soon as they could walk and talk, the proof of which is memorialized in multiple family videos. He also shared with the girls his favorite movies, which is a very long list, but includes near the top Raiders of the Lost Ark, Rocky, Airplane, and all things James Bond. In addition, he introduced the girls to raunchy comedies from a pretty young age, much to Kaethe's chagrin, but nothing builds father-daughter camaraderie better than joyous mom-rule-breaking.

On annual family trips to Squam Lake in New Hampshire, the family enjoyed unplugged time together, hiking, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, playing tennis and board games, reading on the dock, and listening to the loons. Mike, in particular, always called Squam his happy place. Every morning, before breakfast and without fail, he would go for a long, hilly run and then jump in the lake, swimming to the floating dock and back, and capping it all off by relentlessly bragging to the family about how much he had accomplished while they were still lounging in bed.

As soon as Alison and Jessie were old enough to play organized sports, Mike coached their youth softball and soccer teams with Lower Merion Soccer Club, Brookline Softball, and Havertown Township Softball League. He took his coaching jobs very seriously, even leaving the 2003 Kevin Millwood Phillies no-hitter before it ended to get to Alison's t-ball practice on time. For every team he coached, Mike wrote a raucous team cheer, which the players would shout out with glee before every game. He loved being Coach Mike so much that just last year, he had a Phillies jersey made with Coach Mike on the back. When his coaching years were over, Mike found new ways to give back to the community by joining the board of the Lower Merion Township Scholarship Fund and later chairing the board of Mighty Writers.

Throughout their 31 years of marriage, Mike and Kaethe's love never wavered, and they never stopped finding joy in each other's company. They had a life filled with friends, travel, good food, political discussions, music (yes, 80% Springsteen), and just mundane time together, taking walks, biking, watching tv, doing errands, talking, and laughing, always laughing. In spite of Mike's hatred of the term, there is no denying that they were soul mates.

Mike's legal career included a clerkship with the Honorable Thomas N. O'Neill, Jr. in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 14 years at Montgomery McCracken Walker and Rhodes, and in-house counsel positions with Toll Brothers, Tyco, and Johnson Controls. All the while, however, Mike dreamed of becoming a history teacher, and his home bookshelves were filled with thick history books that he loved to read and discuss. His goal of teaching became a reality in January of 2023, when he took his final job as an 8th grade civics teacher and general counsel at Germantown Friends School. Mike had always excelled as a lawyer, but he found his calling as a teacher. He adored his students, loved his fellow teachers, and had never been happier in his career.

At every stage of his life, Mike collected friends, and he left an indelible mark on countless lives and hearts. He had a remarkable ability to make people feel special and always made them laugh. His joy for life and all things he loved was infectious, and Springsteen no doubt sold more music and concert tickets because Mike insisted that every friend learn to appreciate Springsteen's music and profound lyrics.

He is survived by his wife Kaethe Schumacher, his daughters Alison and Jessie, his mother Jane (nee Newman), and his sister Nancy Schnure (Eric). He was preceded in death by his father, Lenny.

In lieu of flowers, Mike's family invites you to honor his life and legacy by contributing to The Michael D. Epstein Fund for Civic Engagement and U.S. History Education, a charitable fund at Germantown Friends School, which promotes student civics education and engagement, with the goal of preparing students to be active and responsible members of their local and national communities and to contribute to a thriving democracy. To donate online, click here or navigate to bit.ly/MichaelEpsteinFund. Donations may also be made by check payable to Germantown Friends School, indicating Mike Epstein Fund in the memo line, and mailed to Germantown Friends School c/o Advancement Office, at 31 W. Coulter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144.

The family also welcomes donations to the Glioblastoma Research Organization at www.gbmresearch.org