OTHE,RS BRINGING HIM TO MIAMI, AND ULTIMATELY, SURFSIDE, FLORIDA. WHEN WORD OF THE JUNE COLLAPSE OF CHAMPLAIN TOWERS SOUTH CONDOMINIUM COMPLEX IN SURFSIDE, FLORIDA HIT THE FAMILY OF ARNOLD AND MARIA NOTKIN, EVERYONE FELT LPLESSHE >> THEY JUST SAID WAY. REPORTER: IT WOULD BE OVER TWO WEEKS OF WAITING. THE FAMILY NOTIFIED LAST SUNDAY JUST AFTER A MEMORIAL FOR THE COUPLE, THAT ARNIE HAD BEEN IDENTIFI.ED THEY WERE TOLD ABOUT MARIA, KNOWN BY MOST AS MYRIAM, ON WEDNDAES >> THE FIRST RESPONDERS WERE AMAZING. THE WEATHER HAS BEEN HORRIBLE, IT IS HOT AND RAINING. JENNIFER: HE SAYS ALL ALONG, THE FAMILIES WERE TREATED LIKE ROCK ARS.ST >> THE FIRST RPONDESERS WERE AMAZING. EVERYBODY DOWN THERE WAS UNBELIEVABLE. JENNERIF THE COUPLE MOVED INTO THEIR THIRD FLOOR CONDO IN 1994. THEY’D MET ANMAD RRIED THE YEAR BEFORE. EACH HAD GROWN FAMILIES. SHE WAS BORN IN CU.BA HE HAILED FROM NEW HAMPSHI.RE >> HE GREW UIN ROCHESTER. HE WENT TOE B YOU, THEN HE WENT TO UM ANY STATE AND HERE. IN THE SUMMERS I WOULD GO UP TO ROCHESTER. JENNIFER: ARNIE TOLD HIS KIDST I WAS A GREAT PLACE TO GROW UP. HE LOVED SPORTS HIS FAVORITE PHOTO, THIS ONE TAKEN WITH MICKEY MANTLE, WHEN ARNIE WAS PARKS DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH. A PH EYSD TEACHER AND COACH WHO TOUCHED A LOT OF LIVES. >> YOU ALWAYS THINK YOUR DAD IS THE BEST. BUT WHEN PEOPLE REINFORCE THAT IT MAKES ME PROUD. SAME WITH MIRI.AM JENNIFER: ARNOLD’S FAMILY HOPES SOMEONE FROM HIS DAD’S DAYS IN ROCHESTER MIGHT REMEMBER HIM, AND HAVE SOME STORIES TO S
Rochester native among victims of Florida condo collapse
Arnold “Arnie” Notkin played basketball growing up in Rochester. His passion for sports and helping others brought him to Miami and then Surfside, Florida. Arnie and his wife Maria, also known as Myriam, were two of the casualties in the June 24 collapse of Champlain Towers South condominiums in Surfside. His son Allen said the family felt helpless.”They just said ‘wait,'” Allen said. “The next day, I had to go down there and give DNA.”The family waited for over two weeks before the couple was identified, Arnie last Sunday and Maria on Wednesday. “The first responders were amazing because the weather has been horrible,” Allen said. “It’s hot, it’s raining and they never stopped.”Allen said the families were treated like rock stars.”The first responders were amazing, everybody down there, unbelievable, and everybody cared,” Allen said. “They had so much passion and heart.”The couple moved into their third-floor condo in 1994 after meeting and marrying the year before. Both had grown families. She was born in Cuba, and he was from New Hampshire.”He grew up in Rochester, and then he went to BU, and after BU he went to UM, and he stayed down there,” Allen said. “In the summers, I would go up to Rochester to be with my grandparents.”Arnie told his kids Rochester was a great place to grow up. He loved sports, served as parks director for the City of Miami Beach and was a coach who touched many lives.”You always think your dad’s the best, but when people reinforce and tell me these things, it makes me really proud,” Allen said. “And the same with Myriam. Myriam was an amazing woman.”Arnie’s family hopes someone from his dad’s days in Rochester might remember him and have some stories to share.
Arnold “Arnie” Notkin played basketball growing up in Rochester.
His passion for sports and helping others brought him to Miami and then Surfside, Florida.
Arnie and his wife Maria, also known as Myriam, were two of the casualties in the June 24 collapse of Champlain Towers South condominiums in Surfside.
His son Allen said the family felt helpless.
“They just said ‘wait,'” Allen said. “The next day, I had to go down there and give DNA.”
The family waited for over two weeks before the couple was identified, Arnie last Sunday and Maria on Wednesday.
“The first responders were amazing because the weather has been horrible,” Allen said. “It’s hot, it’s raining and they never stopped.”
Allen said the families were treated like rock stars.
“The first responders were amazing, everybody down there, unbelievable, and everybody cared,” Allen said. “They had so much passion and heart.”
The couple moved into their third-floor condo in 1994 after meeting and marrying the year before. Both had grown families. She was born in Cuba, and he was from New Hampshire.
“He grew up in Rochester, and then he went to BU, and after BU he went to UM, and he stayed down there,” Allen said. “In the summers, I would go up to Rochester to be with my grandparents.”
Arnie told his kids Rochester was a great place to grow up.
He loved sports, served as parks director for the City of Miami Beach and was a coach who touched many lives.
“You always think your dad’s the best, but when people reinforce and tell me these things, it makes me really proud,” Allen said. “And the same with Myriam. Myriam was an amazing woman.”
Arnie’s family hopes someone from his dad’s days in Rochester might remember him and have some stories to share.
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