GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Laurily Epstein, an Iowa native, died peacefully of natural causes at her home in Great Barrington on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020.

"Laury" was born July 14, 1941, in Rock Island, Ill. She earned three degrees at Washington University in St. Louis, culminating in a Ph.D. in Political Science. She taught first at Washington University and then at Rutgers University, before joining NBC News in New York for 16 years where she worked on polling and election projections.

The widow of Jerry Epstein, she has two children, architect Greg and chef Debbie, daughter-in-law Naomi Baigell and three grandchildren: Tali, Soyer and Kiko.

Laury served on the boards of Berkshire Grown, Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Green Berkshires, and Project Native and was a beloved member of our community for the last thirty years, with a wide circle of devoted friends.

Donations in her memory can be made to Berkshire Grown c/o Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home, 426 Main Street, Great Barrington, MA 01230. To send remembrances to her family please go to www.finnertyandstevens.com

Because Laury loved people, the family plans an in-person gathering in her memory once COVID is a memory and Donald Trump is in hiding.