Sachem Alum, Respected East End Chiropractor Dies from Hantavirus at 35

Dr. David Hartstein, a respected chiropractor in eastern Long Island and a Sachem alum passed away on June 17 after suffering from Hantavirus. He was 35.

Hartstein leaves behind his wife Heather, and three sons Logan (5), Devon (3) and Shane (1).

According to a post by his wife on a memorial Facebook page, Hartstein died from the disease which was most likely contracted in the basement of their home in Montauk, N.Y. He was preparing to convert the small space, accessible only from the outside, to a woodworking shop for himself, she said. Hantavirus can be transmitted through rodents, according to multiple medical websites.

His first symptoms came two weeks prior to his death, it says on the Facebook page, and included mild large muscle tightness, joint pain, and light fatigue. It was thought that he may have contracted Lyme Disease at first. He died at Southampton Hospital.

He grew up in Farmingville, N.Y. and attended Sachem High School, and then SUNY Geneseo where he majored in biology. Following college he attended New York Chiropractic College in Seneca Falls, N.Y. and opened his practice in East Hampton nearly 10 years ago and has one in Montauk as well.

“He was a family man,” Heather wrote. “He adored his children and spent a tremendous amount of time with them. He was a loving son to his parents and to mine, and a devoted brother and brother-in-law. He was a supportive husband.”

The couple had been together for 17 years, married for 12.

“We were best friends,” she wrote. “Our strength lied not in the perfections of our time together, but our imperfections. We were committed to working at our marriage, our parenting, and our communication. It was not easy, but that’s why it was so strong. We never gave up on each other.

He is also survived by his parents Mel and Joyce and older brother Matt.

A video posted on Facebook honors Hartstein. HBO documentarians had been filming the Hartstein family and made the video for , held last Thursday, from the footage they collected. Click here to watch the video

You can help the family by making a donation to the East End Foundation. Click here to go directly to the donation page