Stacie Fang, with her son, Jonah Handler.
Stacie Fang, with her son, Jonah Handler.

The first victim identified after the tragic Surfside Building Collapse was Stacie Fang. A beloved mother, community member and businesswoman, she lived in the Champlain Tower.

In the moments after the devastating collapse, Nicholas Balboa, a Surfside resident who was passing by the building on his midnight walk, heard a desperate cry for help and saw hands reaching through the debris. Miraculously, it was Jonah Handler, Stacie’s 15 year old son, who emerged from the wreckage, devastated, but alive. His mother’s whereabouts were not known until she was identified in the rubble.

A native of New York City, where she studied business administration at Pace University, she worked for the past decade at the Surfside-based Customer Relationship Management Conference, where she served as Vice President.

“There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Stacie. The members of the Fang and Handler families would like to express our deepest appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy, compassion and support we have received,” said a family statement. “The many heartfelt words of encouragement and love have served as a much-needed source of strength during this devastating time.”

Stacie was laid to rest in a touching service on Tuesday morning, in the presence of her son, family and friends.