5 Things You Didn’t Know About Bobby and Jill Zarin
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Just 13 days into 2018 and the headlines have been major from Trump to H&M controversies. But nothing was as shocking as the news of the death of Jill Zarin’s husband Bobby Zarin. He passed away after a battle with cancer.
According to People Jill announced the news in a family statement on her official website, revealing that Bobby died on Saturday surrounded by his family.
“With the heaviest of hearts, we are devastated to share the news that our beloved Bobby Zarin passed away peacefully today surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer,” the family said in a statement. “There are no words to describe how heartbroken we are. Thank you, everyone for all your love, and support during this difficult time.”
To celebrate his life here are 5 facts you didn’t know about Bobby Zarin.
1. Bobby was owner of the legendary Zarin fabric emporium on the Lower East Side. Zarin Fabrics is the largest resource of discounted designer fabrics in New York City and the surrounding tri-state area. Established in 1936, this third generation family-owned business is a three-floor fabric wonderland stocked with thousands of bolts of upholstery and drapery fabrics. The upholstry company is very well known in New York. They opened another store in the Hamptons. Bobby told Hamptons.com that “We have certificates from four different mayors that we were the founding fathers of the Lower East Side,”
2. His wife Jill Zarin was paid only $1,500 per episode of The Real Housewives of New York during the first season. It was rumored in 2017 that Bravo offered Jill a $1 million salary to return for another season after the show suffered a severe ratings dip. She declined due to her husband’s ailing health.
3. Bobby had three kids before marrying Jill. She became step mom to his children David, Jennifer and Johnathan. And Jill had a daughter Allyson from a previous marriage.
4. According to The New York Post back in 2010 Zarin’s fabric started to lose a lot of business, Zarin says business is down at Zarin’s Fabric Warehouse, the Allen Street emporium she runs with husband Bobby. “I’m definitely down. Not going-out-of-business down. But I feel that because I’m a discount store that I’ll be less down than a full-price retailer. I have the same stuff as ABC [Carpet], but I’m half the price.”
5. Bobby’s net worth was only $9 million before his passing, nowhere near the $35 million that was told in 2009. His upholstry shop generated $5 million a year in profits and the building is owned by Zarin. He purchased it for $100,000. Today the space is worth $6 million because of the neighborhood.
Just 13 days into 2018 and the headlines have been major from Trump to H&M controversies. But nothing was as shocking as the news of the death of Jill Zarin’s husband Bobby Zarin. He passed away after a battle with cancer.