In Memoriam (Fall 2001)
Jodi Robin Epstein ’94 died Aug. 18, 2001, at the age of 30. She is remembered here by her friend Leslie Rosen Stern ’94.
Jodi Epstein had a bright smile, distinctive voice and sweet innocence. She became ill in January 2001 and was diagnosed with an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. During her brief, yet critical illness, she maintained her positive outlook on life. She made plans to travel to celebrate special occasions with family and friends. Throughout her treatments, she held a job in the Lab Supplies Department at Brandeis University and enjoyed her co-workers. She found a community of colleagues in this unique cohort of professionals.
Jodi was proud to have attended Clark, as she enjoyed the support of a small institution. In her first year at Clark, Jodi and I became involved with Campuses Against Cancer, an organization that started the campus activity of sending Valentine treats to raise money for cancer research. Most importantly, Jodi enjoyed her academic courses at Clark as a government major and the time she spent in Washington, D.C. as part of Clark’s Washington Internship Program. After graduating from Clark, she remained passionate about governmental affairs and political science.
Jodi and I shared a deep friendship. We enjoyed four years of college together and lived down the hall from each other in Dana Hall during our sophomore year. Dana Commons was our “hot spot” for lunch because we could always count on the yogurt machine being full of chocolate yogurt, and Jodi could get a slice of her favorite Oreo cheesecake.
Jodi was excellent at staying in touch with her friends. She would remember my birthday by sending a card and calling to sing “Happy Birthday.” Jodi called regularly to chat about pop culture, politics and the latest movies she had seen. We know how disappointed she was with the last election. She even spoke with me at length in mid-November about how the election would impact the Jewish community in Israel.
Her friendship was meaningful and sincere. When the school year ended, we always visited each other over the summer vacation to celebrate our summertime birthdays. On June 7 this year, Jodi turned 30.
Jodi’s radiant smile, her voice, her generosity, her loving friendship and sweet spirit enriched our lives. May her memory be for us a blessing.
Dan Trant x’84
Dan Trant x’84, former Clark basketball star, was among the victims of the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Although he was listed among the missing, a memorial service for Trant was held by his family on Sept. 17.
Trant worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, a government bond trading company, on the 101st floor of One World Trade Center, the first tower struck in the terrorist attacks in New York City. He was one of hundreds of Cantor Fitzgerald employees who were missing after two hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers.
Trant made his mark at Clark as an outstanding basketball player. Coached by Wally Halas ’73, Trant is Clark’s third all-time leading scorer with 1,663 points. He was a two-time All-American and was captain of the team that competed in the NCAA Division III final in 1984. Trant was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1984. He continued to be involved with basketball later in his life and coached youth basketball for the past 10 years on Long Island, where he lived with his wife and three children. | 
