Brooklyn native remembered as a good friend and adventurous blogger
More than a month after the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Fla., Estelle Hedaya, 58, has been identified as the 98th and final victim of the tragedy.
Hedaya worked in the jewelry industry in New York for more than 25 years before moving to Florida, making countless friends along the way. Many had flooded her social media pages after news of the tragedy broke—first with prayers for her wellbeing and safety, and in recent weeks with the hope that she identified for the sake of her grieving family and loved ones.
A Brooklyn native, Estelle’s mother worked in New York’s competitive jewelry market, where Estelle worked hard and made a name for herself. In 2015, she was recruited to work at Continental Buying Group and Preferred Jewelers International in Florida, and relocated to Surfside, where she lived on the 6th floor of the Champlain Towers South condominium.
A passionate traveler and foodie who loved to try new things and just have fun, Estelle ran a blog called followthetoes.com, where she shared her adventures, feelings and advice. Her friend Mindy Beth Silverman told the Miami Herald that Estelle was full of life and devoted to her Judaism, with a deep and abiding love for Israel and her fellow Jewish people.
Obituaries of the victims and articles about the response to the tragedy by the Surfside Jewish community and the outpouring of good deeds and help from around the world can be read at the Chabad.org special section on Surfside here.
