John and Barbara Rumpel, heartbroken parents of Adina Azarian, who died in plane crash, speak out
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. -- There is devastation and grief for relatives of the Long Island family that was killed in a plane crash in Virginia on Sunday.
The parents of one of the passengers said this is not the first tragedy for their family.
A tiny pink scooter, mini hoops and swings are part of a joyful East Hampton yard for the devoted mother and her 2-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
Adina Azarian, 49, was an accomplished real estate agent in the Hamptons and her toddler, along with their live-in nanny and the pilot all perished in the crash.
Azarian worked out of a Bridgehampton office and was admired for her fairness and friendliness. She leaves behind her heartbroken parents.
"I never met a sweeter person than Adina. This is the second daughter I have lost, and she was the most wonderful human being I have ever met," John Rumpel said. "We adopted her a few years back."
John and Barbara Rumpel spoke by phone from their North Carolina vacation home, and explained that another daughter, teenage Victoria, died in a scuba diving accident in 1994. She is buried on Long Island.
This tragedy is now too much to bear.
"We'd like to thank everyone who has reached out with words of comfort. We are all so very grateful for the efforts of the first responders, and the FAA and the NTSB, the state police," Barbara Rumpel said.
The Rumpels, successful businesspeople, built a multimillion-dollar assisted living facility in their late daughter Victoria's name where they live in Melbourne, Florida. Both are gun rights advocates, and are politically active.
The Rumpels said they savored every moment of family time with their daughter and granddaughter and are unable to comprehend this disaster.
"As we grieve all the lives lost, we respectfully ask for privacy during this difficult time," Barbara Rumpel said.
On the streets of East Hampton, the unthinkable crash was on the minds of all their friends and neighbors.