M. Neville Epstein

Neville Epstein, devoted husband, caring father, beloved grandfather, and accomplished architect passed away on Saturday, March 8, 2025 after a brief illness. He had just celebrated his 89th birthday. Neville's life began a world away, in Moorreesburg, South Africa. He took great pleasure returning with his family to his childhood home and the playing fields of his youth. As a young man, he was quite an athlete. In high school he played tennis and golf and went on to play varsity rugby for his alma mater, the University of Cape Town where he authored a First Class Thesis in Architecture. As he told it, a fortuitous blank application somehow resulted in his admission to Princeton's School of Architecture. After graduating from Princeton with the AIA Student Medal 1964 Thesis Prize, he went on to teach at the University of Kansas. He began his career at the architectural firm Skidmore, Owens, and Merrill in New York City. He spent the next phase of his career as a partner in the architectural firm of Geddes, Brecker, Qualls, and Cunningham and settled with his family in Princeton as a Design Instructor and Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Architecture Department at Princeton University. (1968 to 1988). Neville enjoyed staying in touch with his architectural colleagues and former students all over the world, who were always equally thrilled to reconnect with one of their favorite mentors. His professional accomplishments are too numerous to mention, but include the Institute for Advanced Studies, the library at Muhlenberg College, The Stern School of Business at NYU, and the master plan for Liberty State Park in New Jersey. He spent the later part of his career as a Senior Designer with the architectural firm Perkins Eastman. He is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Cookie, his daughters Melissa (Scott) Barshay and Joanna (Craig) Goldberg, and his grandchildren Emily, Alex, Chloe, Ben, Josh, and Tyler.