A look at some of those killed in NY plane crash

Posted By ap 10 months, 1 week ago in News

Mary Abraham

Abraham, a retired Army Reserve first sergeant, had worked at Invacare Corp., a medical-device manufacturer, for about 12 years.

Co-worker and good friend Marc Schwartz remembered Abraham for her outspokenness and said that on more than one occasion, she climbed up onto a table at a business meeting to make a point more persuasively.

"That was Mary. She was passionate," Schwartz told The Buffalo News.

Most recently, Abraham was training people to use the company's products in the region stretching from Maine to New Jersey.

Abraham, 44, worked from her home in West Seneca, N.Y., where she had moved to be closer to her parents, and frequently traveled for her job.

She also was a greyhound rescuer and a member of a women's motorcycle club, according to Schwartz.

Schwartz said he dropped her off at the airport Thursday afternoon, gave her a hug and kiss and said goodbye. He learned the awful news about Flight 3407 the next morning.

"Everybody that knew her, loved her. She had such a strong personality," Schwartz said.

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David Borner

Borner, 49, of North Tonawanda, N.Y., worked for Kraft Foods and was returning from a business trip with a co-worker. Borner was to meet his family and then leave with them Friday for a cruise in Florida.

He loved the outdoors and fishing, said his sister-in-law, Karen Hannah.

"He was very involved with his children," his neighbor Ruth Belling told The Buffalo News. "It's just so tragic."

Borner's daughter, Nicole, a high school senior, was looking forward to playing soccer at Binghamton University, according to the Buffalo News. His son, Michael, is in eighth-grade.

"I was supposed to drive him to the airport" for his trip to Florida, another neighbor, Richard E. Ganter, told the newspaper. "I called Cheryl (Borner's wife), and she told me what happened. I was very stunned."

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Alison Des Forges

Des Forges, of Buffalo, N.Y., was senior adviser for Human Rights Watch's Africa division. Considered one of the world's leading experts on the genocide in Rwanda, Des Forges testified at 11 trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda as an expert witness. She was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1999.

Des Forges was returning home to Buffalo after a trip to Europe, where she briefed diplomats on the situation in Rwanda and Africa's Great Lakes region, said Emma Daly, spokeswoman for Human Rights Watch. She sent an e-mail to colleagues from the airport before boarding the plane.

"She was working till the end," Daly said.

Des Forges had a "tremendous commitment to human rights and her tremendous principles," Daly said.

"She made herself very unpopular with the Rwandan government by insisting that they be held responsible for the crimes they committed before the genocide," Daly said.

Daly called Des Forges "a thorn in everyone's side, which is a testament to her integrity."

Des Forges was born in Schenectady, N.Y., in 1942. In 1964, she married Roger Des Forges, a University of Buffalo historian specializing in China. She is survived by a daughter, a son, and three grandchildren.

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Beverly Eckert

Eckert, of Stamford, Conn., was a Sept. 11 widow who became one of the most visible, tearful faces in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

Her husband, Sean Rooney, was on the phone in the World Trade Center telling her he loved her when suddenly there was a loud explosion and nothing more.

Eckert was heading to Buffalo, her hometown, for a celebration of what would have been her husband's 58th birthday, said Mary Fetchet, a 9/11 family activist.

Last week, she was at the White House with President Barack Obama as part of a meeting with relatives of those killed in the 2001 attacks and the bombing of the USS Cole to discuss how the new administration would handle terrorism suspects.

She was part of a small group of Sept. 11 widows, mothers and children who became amateur lobbyists, ultimately forcing lawmakers in 2004 to pass sweeping reforms of the U.S. intelligence apparatus.

When her work was done, she turned her energies to Habitat for Humanity, helping build homes for low-income families.

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John Fiore

Fiore, 59, of Grand Island, N.Y., had recently retired from the U.S. Air Force reserves as a senior master sergeant, according to fellow members of Grand Island Moose Lodge No. 180. The flight was the final leg of his vacation to China.

Fiore, a father of two, served more than 30 years in the Air Force and two years with the U.S. Marine Corp. He had done tours of duty during the Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm and two separate tours during the Iraq War.

The lodge's treasurer, Rick Halas, said Fiore was a very dedicated and active member.

Fiore also was active in several veterans groups, including the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, according to The Tonawanda News.

"There's not a better friend," Duane Frost, a longtime friend, told the newspaper. "There's not a better man. He did so much work for the legion and the veterans organizations. He was just a standup guy."

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Ron Gonzalez

Gonzalez, a director of a youth services program based in New Brunswick, N.J., was on his way to visit family in Buffalo, a colleague said.

The Bronx-raised Gonzalez, 44, worked for New Brunswick Tomorrow, a private nonprofit organization that provides family counseling, employment and tutoring services for the city's schools.

Gonzalez, who was flying home to visit family in the Buffalo area, formerly led Alianza Latina, an AIDS/HIV organization focused on Buffalo's Latino community, according to the Buffalo News.

Jeffrey Vega, New Brunswick Tomorrow's president, told The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., that Gonzalez worked long hours and was dedicated to helping disadvantaged children and their families.

"He wasn't somebody who had an ego," Vega said. "It wasn't about him, it was all about the children."

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Brad S. Green Sr.

Green, 53, of East Amherst, N.Y., is survived by his wife, Sharon, and two children, Jennifer and Brad Jr.

Green was a salesman for Kraft Foods and was returning from a business trip with co-worker David Borner.

Green and his family were kind and helpful — "the type of people everyone would want living next door," a former neighbor, Dave Braunscheidel, told The Buffalo News. Braunscheidel said he and Green used to help each other with home projects, like working on Green's hot tub and an engine on his son's three-wheeler.

Green was also a member of Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church in Clarence.

Another former neighbor, George Regan, said the Green family used to help him use the Internet to keep in touch with his son, who traveled around the world. Regan described Green as being very well-liked.

In a statement, Kraft Foods extended its condolences and wrote: "We are devastated by the news and our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with our employees' families during this difficult time."

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George Abu Karam

Abu Karam, of Tiberias, Israel, had been a member of the South Lebanon Army, an Israeli-backed Lebanese militia. He was flying to Buffalo to visit his cousin.

Abu Karam first arrived in the lakeside city of Tiberias in 2000, when Israeli troops pulled out of south Lebanon and many SLA men fled after them, fearing retribution if they stayed behind, a friend, Aviv Omer, told Israel Radio.

"You could say that he didn't just fit in, he led," Omer told the radio station. "He was always surrounded by friends, always smiling. He had presence. He was a big man. He worked as a security guard after the SLA. He always tried to look tough and project confidence, but inside he had a heart as soft as butter, a heart of gold."

Oded Zafti, the owner of a bar that employed Abu Karam as a security guard, told the newspaper Haaretz: "He was a man with a good soul, enterprising and devoted."

Laizer Labkovski, a rabbi with the Chabad movement in Buffalo, said Abu Karam's cousin was at the airport to pick up Abu Karam when he learned of the crash.

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Ellyce Kausner

Kausner, of Clarence, N.Y., was a second-year law student at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville. Her sister, Laura Kausner, said Ellyce was flying home to be her nephew's date at a kindergarten Valentine's Day party on Friday.

Kausner was part of a group of about a half-dozen young women who had remained close friends since middle school, said one of the group, Candice Ciesla.

"Ellie was a crazy, out-there kind of girl, totally full of life," said Candice Ciesla. "This is a huge nightmare, the most surreal thing I've experienced."

Ciesla, who now lives in California, learned of Kausner's death when she got a call from a high school friend.

"I was in the grocery store when he called and I almost fainted right there," Ciesla said.

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Jerome Krasuski

Jerry Krasuski, 53, was returning home to Cheektowaga, N.Y., with three other colleagues from Northrop Grumman, where he was a program manager.

The former North Tonawanda resident worked for the Williamsville defense contractor for more than 20 years. He became a grandfather for the first time four months ago with the birth of his granddaughter, Ava.

"He had a heart of gold," a cousin, Karen Kras, told the Buffalo News. "I mentioned the other day that I needed a lock for my basement door. He disappeared, came back and said "I had this one in my tool box.' He was always doing little things like that for everyone."

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Brian Kuklewicz

Kuklewicz, 41, was devoted to his family, his sister-in-law told The Buffalo News.

"He lived life to the fullest; he just used every minute of every day," said Chris Michalski. "And he loved his family, his wife and his boys, to the fullest extent."

Kuklewicz was married to his wife, Karen, for 13 years. Their twin sons, Nicholas and Jacob, turn 9 this week.

"His life was for his family," Michalski said.

Kuklewicz was born in Cheektowaga, N.Y., and later returned there after high school. He worked as an engineer at Burns Cascade, an industrial valve manufacturer, and was in New Jersey on a business trip before boarding Flight 3407.

He enjoyed camping and traveling. The family took cruises and went to Mexico and Disney World.

"He was absolutely funny. That's how we're getting through this ... just by bringing up all the funny things about Brian," Michalski said.

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Bethany Kushner

Kushner, 19, was returning home to Angola, N.Y., after spending a few weeks in California. A 2007 graduate of Eden Junior-Senior High School, Kushner attended Keuka College for a year and planned to complete her studies at Buffalo State College.

On a Facebook page set up in her memory, Kushner's friends remembered her as being a fun-loving girl who played tennis in high school and college.

"Beth never ever let you be unhappy for a minute," wrote Kelsey Kenefick, of Buffalo. "She could always make anyone smile. She was a great person and a great friend."

She is survived by her parents; brother, Joe; and sister, Megan.

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Sean Lang

Lang, 19, of Montgomeryville, Pa., was flying north to visit his girlfriend. Lang's parents and brothers learned it was his flight that had gone down shortly after the crash.

"He was incredibly loved," Lonnie Cooper, Lang's brother, told the Bucks County Courier-Times. "He was an incredibly cool guy. All of his friends looked up to him as a leader."

Lang had been attending college at Penn State's Abington campus. Cooper said his brother had not declared a major, but was excited about an upcoming transfer to the main campus in State College.

"He was a huge Penn State fan," Cooper said.

Lang also threw his heart into supporting the Eagles and Phillies. He and his friends were among the many thousands who attended the Phillies World Series celebration parade.

Lang worked in an Army/Navy store in Montgomeryville. He also enjoyed snowboarding and had recently taken a trip to Vermont.

"He was into living life to the fullest," said Cooper.

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Madeline Loftus

Maddy Loftus, 24, of Parsippany, N.J., was headed to Buffalo for a reunion of the Buffalo State women's ice hockey team she played for in 2002 and 2003, said Jeff Ventura, the school's sports information director.

Loftus' 22-year-old brother, Frankie Loftus, said his sister never worried about flying because their father was a pilot for Continental. He said he dropped her off at the airport Thursday.

"She was an amazing person. She loved to make everyone happy," he said. "Everyone who met her loved her instantly."

Loftus transferred to St. Mary's University in Minnesota after her sophomore year, Ventura said.

Loftus "was one the greatest people who ever came out of Buffalo State hockey," said her former teammate, Carolyn Totaro. "She worked really, really hard to be where she was. Hockey was her passion, especially when it came down to competition. She was so driven to play hockey."

Loftus played for Buffalo State from 2002-04, finishing with 10 goals and three assists over 47 games. In two seasons at St. Mary's, the 5-foot-5 forward had 11 goals and 10 assists in 52 games.

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Lorin Maurer

Maurer, 30, had worked raising money at Princeton University for its athletics department.

"We are heartbroken that someone so young and full of life could be taken from us so suddenly," Brian McDonald, the vice president of development at Princeton, said in a statement released by the university.

Maurer was traveling to New York to meet the family of her boyfriend, Kevin Kuwick, an assistant basketball coach at Butler University, The Buffalo News reported.

Maurer, who grew up in Sinking Spring, Pa., was a champion swimmer at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J., where she graduated in 2001. She received a master's degree from the University of Florida.

She had worked at Princeton since 2005.

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Donald McDonald

McDonald, 48, was a technical manager at the Pharmetics Inc. plant in Fort Erie, Ontario, where he had worked for 26 years, said company spokesman Peter Lucyshyn.

His job was to troubleshoot equipment problems and drug formulations for Pharmetics, one of the largest private-label pharmaceutical companies in Canada.

McDonald, who was returning home to Fort Erie from a business trip, had a wife and young daughter.

"We are all in shock over the tragic incident, and our hearts and condolences go out to the family," Lucyshyn told The Canadian Press. "He gave anyone as much time as they needed for whatever problems. He was a nice person."

McDonald, an avid golfer, had lived in the Niagara region of Ontario for more than 45 years, The Canadian Press reported.

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Coleman Mellett

An accomplished jazz guitarist, Mellett was a touring member of trumpeter Chuck Mangione's band for the last several years. The group was scheduled to perform Friday night at the Kleinhans Music Hall with the Buffalo Philharmonic.

Mellett grew up near Washington, D.C., and moved to New Jersey to study at William Paterson University, according to his MySpace profile. After graduating he moved to New York and earned a master's degree at the Manhattan School of Music in 1998.

Mellett, 33, lived in East Brunswick, N.J., with his wife, singer Jeanie Bryson, according to the Star-Ledger of Newark.

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Dawn Monachino

Monachino, 44, a pharmaceutical representative at Schering-Plough Corp. who lived in Clarence, N.Y., was coming back from Newark on a business trip along with a co-worker.

"She was loving, caring and giving," her husband, Michael Monachino, told The Buffalo News. "She was the one who would remember the tiniest thing that would be important to someone else. That's what she brought to the marriage. She was the center of joy in my life."

Monachino, who was originally from Carbondale, Pa., typically drove 10 hours round-trip to Pennsylvania every two weeks to be with her mother, who has Alzheimer's disease.

A West Chester University graduate, Monachino taught elementary school in Pennsylvania and South Carolina before moving to Clarence in 1995.

Her two dogs were constant companions, according to her husband, who said she cared for them as though they were her children.

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