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Eric Von Frohlich, co-founder of Row House and founder of EVF Performance CrossFit Upper East Side, died last week at 60, according to Athletech News. Colleagues and friends remember him for shaping boutique rowing and CrossFit, his demanding and thoughtful coaching, and his advocacy after a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
Eric Von Frohlich, the New York fitness entrepreneur and coach who co-founded Row House and founded EVF Performance CrossFit Upper East Side, died last week at age 60, Athletech News reported. Tributes describe his role in bringing rowing into boutique fitness, his approach to coaching and his later advocacy for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Frohlich co-founded Row House in 2014 with his wife, Debra Strougo. The source credits him with helping make rowing a nationwide boutique fitness format, introducing the activity to people who might otherwise have found it intimidating. He also founded EVF Performance CrossFit Upper East Side, where his training and coaching helped establish his standing in New York’s fitness community.
Frohlich and Strougo also founded Fitizens Holdings, a firm that advised and invested in health, fitness and wellness companies. Athletech News describes Frohlich’s coaching as demanding and thoughtful, and says his influence extended beyond business through relationships with clients, colleagues and friends.
After receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, Frohlich became involved in advocacy for the Parkinson’s community and served on the board of Rock Steady Boxing, according to the report. Board member Ryan Cotton said Frohlich was invited because of both his diagnosis and his experience in fitness. The source says he used his platform to support people affected by Parkinson’s and inform care approaches, but gives no further detail on specific initiatives.
Frohlich is survived by Strougo and their children, Magnus, Carter and Bella, along with other relatives. The report also names his dog, Midas, and cats, Thorkell and Momo. He was predeceased by his mother, Joyce Carter Frohlich.
A Lasting Mark on Boutique Fitness
Frohlich’s death is being remembered not only as the loss of a coach but as the passing of an entrepreneur who helped expand the kinds of group exercise available to the public. Row House’s launch in 2014 placed indoor rowing within the boutique studio model, while his CrossFit work connected him with another influential strand of group training. The report does not quantify the businesses’ reach, but the tributes point to his influence across the industry and among individual participants.
His Parkinson’s advocacy added another dimension to that work. Cotton recalled Frohlich’s ability to acknowledge the difficulties of the diagnosis while remaining optimistic. That balance, Cotton said, shaped his own perspective. The recollections suggest how Frohlich’s fitness expertise and personal experience met in his work with the Parkinson’s community, though the report does not claim that his efforts changed clinical practice.
The response also shows how a fitness professional’s impact can be measured in relationships as well as companies. Friends and colleagues quoted by Athletech News emphasized his integrity, humor, energy and willingness to listen. Those are personal assessments, not independent measures of professional influence, but together they convey why his death prompted tributes from people across different parts of his life.
indoor rowing machine for boutique fitness
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From CrossFit to Row House
Frohlich’s career spanned several parts of the fitness business. He founded EVF Performance CrossFit Upper East Side and later co-founded Row House with Strougo, bringing rowing into a studio-based group fitness setting. Athletech News credits him with helping turn rowing into a nationwide boutique fitness modality; it does not provide company growth figures or a detailed account of the chain’s expansion.
His business work continued through Fitizens Holdings, which the report describes as an advisory and investment firm focused on health, fitness and wellness companies. Alongside those ventures, Frohlich’s diagnosis led him to serve on the board of Rock Steady Boxing. The report presents these roles as connected by his wider interest in fitness, but does not specify when he received his diagnosis or how long he served on the board.
Athletech News said it gathered the tributes in its report from emails and texts sent directly to the outlet, as well as public social media posts. The outlet noted that some statements were lightly edited for clarity and length. The comments are personal remembrances rather than formal statements on behalf of every organization associated with Frohlich.
““Eric had a remarkable ability to connect with people. He was a genuine listener who made you feel heard.””
— Ryan Cotton, a Rock Steady Boxing board member, as quoted by Athletech News
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Details Still Not Reported
The source reports that Frohlich died last week at age 60, but does not provide an exact date, cause of death or location. It also does not say whether a public memorial or other service has been planned. The date of his Parkinson’s diagnosis and the length of his service with Rock Steady Boxing are not specified.
The report describes Frohlich as helping rowing become a nationwide boutique fitness format, but offers no figures on Row House locations, membership or business performance. The scope of his influence is conveyed mainly through the outlet’s account and the personal tributes it collected. Further information about memorial arrangements or statements from the family and organizations has not been included in the source material.
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Family and Industry Tributes
Athletech News has published tributes collected from friends, colleagues and fitness figures, and further remembrances may appear through the organizations and communities connected to Frohlich. The source does not announce a funeral, memorial or planned industry event. Readers seeking updates on services or family statements will need to rely on announcements from the family or affiliated organizations; none is provided in the report.
For now, the confirmed account centers on Frohlich’s death at 60, his work with Row House, EVF Performance CrossFit Upper East Side and Fitizens Holdings, and his involvement with Rock Steady Boxing. The tributes offer a record of how people who knew him viewed his coaching, business work and response to Parkinson’s disease, while the circumstances and arrangements surrounding his death remain unreported.
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Key Questions
Who was Eric Von Frohlich?
Eric Von Frohlich was a fitness entrepreneur and coach in New York. He co-founded Row House, founded EVF Performance CrossFit Upper East Side and, with his wife, Debra Strougo, founded Fitizens Holdings.
How old was Eric Von Frohlich when he died?
Athletech News reported that Frohlich died last week at age 60. The report does not give an exact date of death.
What was Frohlich’s connection to Row House?
Frohlich co-founded Row House in 2014 with Strougo. The report credits him with helping bring rowing to a nationwide boutique fitness audience, but does not provide company growth figures.
How was Frohlich involved in Parkinson’s advocacy?
After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Frohlich became an advocate for the Parkinson’s community and served on the board of Rock Steady Boxing, according to Athletech News. The source does not detail the timing or specific programs he worked on.
Has a cause of death or memorial plan been announced?
The source does not report a cause of death, exact date or memorial arrangements. It says only that Frohlich died last week at 60.
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