Daughter: Body of ex-Ardsley resident Judy Spiegel recovered at Florida condo collapse

The daughter of 66-year-old Judy Spiegel, the former Ardsley resident who went missing following the Miami-area building collapse, confirmed that her mother's body was found in rubble.

News 12 Staff

Jul 12, 2021, 10:01 AM

Updated 1,263 days ago

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A former Ardsley family is mourning the loss of their matriarch after her body was recovered in the debris of the condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida.
Rachel Spiegel tells News 12 she got the official word over the weekend that her mother, Judy Spiegel, was among the dozens of victims who lost their lives. 
She says Judy was a loving mother, grandmother, friend and philanthropist. Her family says they don’t know how life will go on without her beautiful presence.
Judy had the nickname Grandma Judy because she was always there for her grandkids and watched them when Rachel had to go to work during the pandemic. During their last conversation hours before the collapse, Judy told Rachel that she bought her granddaughter a dress she really wanted.
Her final gift arrived days later after the collapse.
Rachel shared they also talked about going to an appointment together. She says Judy still accompanied her to doctor's appointments even though she's 35 years old. Rachel says her mother was the glue of their family, and life without her is unimaginable.
"I just want to tell her how much I love her, and I'll do everything in my power to honor her and make sure she's proud of me and I want to make her proud...and I just want to hug her and hear her voice, but I...you know...I just miss her a lot. This is really painful," she says.
Rachel says her family is not focused on what caused the collapse. Their top priority is putting Judy to rest, supporting each other as they mourn and replacing all they've lost.
News 12 also spoke to Rachel Spiegel last week about her mother.