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Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors is pleased to introduce you to The Pasnak Family: Erik, Amy, Emma and Sophie. They certainly know how to enjoy life! Whether it’s traveling around the globe or spending time with friends and neighbors in our community, this family is always ready to make memories.
Erik said that he, his parents and his sister moved around a lot when he was young. “My father was in the Navy, so we lived in many different places,” he said. “We lived in Hawaii, South Carolina, Virginia and Spain before I even finished elementary school,” Erik noted that although moving around had its challenges, it taught him to appreciate and find the positive in every situation.
Erik graduated from Stratford High School in Goose Creek, SC, before his family moved to Stuart, FL. He attended the University of South Florida, and earned his degree in Electrical Engineering. Today, Erik is an Account Executive for a cloud-unified communications company that provides enterprise communications channels, such as voice, video, personal and team messaging, voicemail and content-sharing software. “The pandemic brought many changes to how people and companies communicate,” explained Erik. “Working for a company that aims to enable people to work remotely is very rewarding. I like being a part of advancing technology and am excited to see the role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play in our future.”
Amy spent her childhood living in Lansdale with her parents, a sister and a brother. “Unfortunately, my dad died suddenly when I was in first grade,” Amy explained. “That experience made me a very anxious child, but my mom always did her best to raise me and my siblings the best she knew how.”
Amy went to Knapp Elementary School and graduated from North Penn High School. After graduation, she went to Widener University to study hospitality management but soon decided that career path was not suitable for her. She left Widener and began full-time work. Amy spent some time
working at CHOP Specialty Care Center, helping to open an adolescent practice. Currently, Amy is the Office Manager at Westside Wellness Chiropractic Center in Wayne. “I thrive in an environment where I can use my exceptional organizational and time management skills,” she remarked.
More often than not, our Resident Feature couple’s love stories are about a guy from Delco meeting a girl from Delco at their favorite bar in Sea Isle! But what we have here is a guy from, let’s say, everywhere but Delco, meeting a girl from Montco (Montgomery County), falling in love and choosing to live and raise their family in our hometown.
“Erik and I met at the buffet at a Golden Corral in Raleigh, North Carolina,” Amy said. “We were on a weekend away with mutual friends, and Erik told me I had beautiful eyes.” Love was in the air, and they went on their first official date shortly after that trip. “On our first date, we went to a restaurant called Pastabilities in North Wales,” Erik recalled. “We hit it off right away and dated for about a year and a half before getting engaged while on a European trip.” When Erik popped the question, Amy said they were there to visit one of her friends in Amsterdam. She said yes, and the planning began.
The happy couple married 11 months later, surrounded by family and friends in Warminster, then spent their honeymoon on a 15-day tour of Italy. Amy and Erik fondly recalled their time with the others on the tour. “There was one other young couple who was also on their honeymoon, and everyone else was well into their retirement,” Amy said. “One of the most memorable moments was sitting in the back of the bus with a couple in their eighties drinking wine and eating cheese and bread while traveling from Rome to Florence.” Amy and Erik said that the best advice they received from the older couples on the trip was to enjoy life, laugh a lot and always have fun!
When the newlyweds returned, they settled down in Quakertown, which ended up being short-lived when Erik received a work promotion requiring him to move to Pittsburgh. “Amy and I relocated to the western part of the state for a little over a year,” Erik explained. “But, the Philly area was where we felt at home, so I found a new job so we could move back and be closer to Amy’s family.”
They settled into a home in Drexel Hill and started a family. “Eventually, we knew we wanted a bigger house with a yard,” Amy said. “We started looking around and fell in love with the Newtown Edgmont area.” They found the perfect home in Runnymeade Farms and have enjoyed raising their two daughters in a wonderful neighborhood with fantastic schools and a welcoming community. “I am Jewish and Erik is Catholic,” Amy explained. “Our girls are being raised Jewish, but in our home, we are lucky to celebrate and appreciate both religions, and we have always felt loved and accepted here.”
Amy and Erik’s oldest daughter, Emma, graduated from Penncrest High School where she was an active member of the volleyball team. She is now a student at Drexel University majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering. In addition to her studies, Emma is a board member of the Drexel Society of Women Engineers and plays on the school’s intramural volleyball team. She also started a mentorship program for the Drexel Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Department.
Emma is hardworking, motivated and determined. She is currently looking for a postgraduate position and is working towards her Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) certification and is considering going to law school someday.
Their younger daughter Sophie also graduated from Penncrest High School where she excelled as a goalie on the lacrosse team, and also as a dancer and dance teacher at From the Top dance studio. Sophie currently attends Manhattan College, where she plays Division I Lacrosse and is studying Exercise Science. She is a dean’s list student, a member of the Pi Epsilon Kappa exercise science honor society, and on the student-athlete advisory committee.
In addition to her accomplishments in school and on the field, Sophie is artistic and loves to be creative. She continues to help out at the dance studio during their summer camps and enjoys working with children.
Last but certainly not least is the Pasnak’s 12-year-old Cavalier King Charles mix named Cooper. “Coop’s a bit of a troublemaker,” laughed Amy. “We call him Kevin when he’s acting up!” Cooper’s known in the neighborhood for being an expert escape artist. He and his sidekick Jack (their beloved corgi who recently passed away), would find their way through the fence, only to be rescued and returned by their mailman. “Cooper is very talented, too,” Amy continued. “He has a knack for being able to open his own doggy advent calendar from Trader Joe’s all by himself.”
Life for the Pasnak’s looks different these days with the girls being away at school. “When Emma and Sophie were younger, we spent a lot of time at our community pool and going to lots of neighborhood parties,” Erik said. “We were also very involved with their school’s activities and attended all of their volleyball and lacrosse games as well as Sophie’s dance recitals.”
With more time on their hands, Erik said he enjoys cooking, gardening and photography. He also loves to go to trivia night in downtown Media with his friends. When Amy is not working, she spends time helping at From the Top dance studio and making gift baskets and candy bouquets for her friend’s business, Game on State in Media. She also loves to read, take HIIT exercise classes, ride her Peloton and travel.
Family time may be less frequent, but they make the most of it when they are together. “We love to take family trips,” Erik said. “We’ve been to Italy, London, Paris and Amsterdam recently, and some of our favorite trips in the past have been to Disney, Aruba, Hawaii, New Orleans and Hilton Head.” They are also big Philadelphia sports fans and love going to the games when they can.
No matter how far this family may travel, Amy, Erik and the girls are always grateful to come home to Newtown Edgmont. “Living in Edgmont has been a fulfilling experience,” Amy said. “We love living here and making memories with our girls. We feel safe, accepted and supported here.” Sounds like the perfect place to unpack your bags.
Do you know a Newtown Edgmont family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Sheila Turner-Hilliard at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.