Rick Epstein, author, journalist, and Frenchtown Borough historian, died at home July 20, 2026 with his wife and brother by his bedside, and his children in town. He was 75.

In February 2025 he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. In the final year of his life he kept up friendships, published another book, championed a local historical society, advised (and named) The Frenchtown Sun, a quarterly borough newsletter, and documented a-day-in-the-life at Frenchtown Elementary School for a booklet to commemorate its 100 year anniversary, which will be published in the fall. Rick ceased treatment shortly before a celebratory dinner was held in his honor by the Delaware Valley Historical Society at the American Legion on June 26, 2026.

Rick loved small town life and its colorful characters. He will be remembered by his loved ones as kind, reliable, and likely to find a humorous twist in any situation.

Born in Syracuse, N.Y., to Theodore Epstein and Marie Matheson Epstein, he was raised in Lawrence Township and graduated from Lawrence High School in 1969 and from Syracuse University in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

He lived in Olympia, Wash., for a couple of years and took several trips by freight train, most notably from Tacoma to Chicago and from El Paso to Los Angeles.

He held his dream job as editor of the Delaware Valley News in Frenchtown 1977-1984. After becoming a parent, he worked as managing editor at the Somerset Messenger-Gazette in Somerville, the Green Brook-North Plainfield Journal and the Highland Park Herald. He spent six years as a copy editor at the Central New Jersey Home News before coming to the Hunterdon County Democrat in 1995 where he was managing editor for many years. As newspapers across the state consolidated and their glory diminished, he contributed reporting and photography through 2015. Instead of entering retirement, Rick worked as a full-time library aide at Delaware Valley Regional High School from 2016-2025, where he also gave presentations to the journalism and history students, and photographed school activities for his write-ups on the school’s social media channels.

He was the author of two books on local history, “Frenchtown: Fires, Floods, Fads & Felonies! A newspaperman tells the story of a river town” (Palmetto 2023) and “More Frenchtown: When you’ve read Frenchtown and want more!” (Palmetto 2025) published with funding from the Fargo Family Foundation. He enjoyed sharing stories of local history on his Frenchtown walking tours, such as the “Bad Luck and Poor Choices Tour,” the “Downtown Tour,” and the “Cemetery Tour.” Rick was also the author of “Rookie Dad; Adventures in Fatherhood” (Hyperion 1992) and “The Right Number of Kids” (McKenna Publishing Group 2003). His funny-dad column appeared in more than 150 parenting publications in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Surviving him are his wife, Betsy Westlake; two brothers, Jeff of Brooklyn, NY and Cushing, Maine, and Steve of Silver Spring, Md., along with Rick’s sister-in-law, Eleanor King, and niece, Alina Epstein. He is also survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Lana Epstein of Shutesbury, Ma., Molly Epstein and Steve Wolfe of Colchester, Vt., and Matheson Westlake and Sean Fackler of Hopewell, NJ, who are expecting the birth of Rick’s granddaughter in September 2026.

A memorial service will be held in Frenchtown later this autumn, and his ashes will be scattered on the banks of the Delaware River where he and his wife Betsy were married in 1982.

To make a memorial donation in Rick’s honor, consider mailing a check to the “Delaware Valley Historical Society and Museum Inc” at P.O. Box 173 Frenchtown, NJ 08825 (or, donating to Delaware Valley Historical Society via PayPal) or dropping off a check or donation of food to Frenchtown's “Open Door United Methodist Church” Food Pantry at 16 3rd St, Frenchtown, NJ 08825.