Edward “Eddie” Toppel, husband of Rabbi Judith HaLevy of the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue, died Sunday. He was 64.
Toppel was a longtime resident of Chicago who met HaLevy on an airplane in the year 2000. Toppel was a retired commodities trader with 25 years experience with the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Board Options Exchange.
Toppel only lived in Malibu for four years, but he said those were the best years of his life. Friends and family said he was known for an easy disposition and quick smile.
Toppel is the author of “Zen in the Market, confessions of a Samurai Trader,” which has been published in more than 10 languages and is a classic work in the field.
Toppel is survived by his mother, Lilian; brother, Lewis; sister, Gayle Sherman and children, Neal Toppel and Jessica Cleary.
A funeral service will take place on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park in Simi Valley. A reception will immediately follow the service at Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue, located at 24855 Pacific Coast Highway.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue or the ACLU.
For further information, call the Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue at 456.2178.