In the immediate aftermath of the Metro-North accident, we expressed hope that everyone arrives home safely. Tragically, three members of our community did not.
On behalf of the Town of New Castle, we want to express our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of Joseph Nadol of Ossining, Robert Dirks of Chappaqua and Ellen Brody, who worked at ICD Contemporary Jewelry. Our thoughts and prayers go out to these three as well as to all victims and all affected by this tragedy. Our hearts are broken.
Joseph Nadol, 42, of Ossining, is survived by his wife, Jen, and his three young sons. Joseph worked at JP Morgan as an aerospace and defense equity analyst. He was ranked as one of the top analysts covering aerospace and defense. He received a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. He loved skiing. His wife, Jen, regularly appeared at the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival. In the acknowledgments section of her 2011 book, Jen wrote “Boundless gratitude to my husband, Joe, whose support makes writing and so many other things possible.”
Robert Dirks, 36, of Chappaqua is survived by his wife, Christine, and his two young children, ages 2 and 5. Robert was a research scientist for the chemistry division of D.E. Shaw Research. “Robert was a brilliant scientist who made tremendous contributions to our own research, and to the broader scientific community,” the company said in a statement. Robert was born in Bangkok, Thailand. He was an avid chess player in his younger years. He then turned to playing bridge. He met his wife playing bridge in college. They both attended the California Institute of Technology.
Ellen Brody, 49, is survived by her husband, Alan, and three daughters in their teens and 20s. Ellen worked at ICD Contemporary Jewelry in Chappaqua. She lived in the Edgemont section of Greenburgh. Ellen was looking forward to celebrating her 50th birthday next month. A sign hanging in the window of ICD stated “The ICD Family mourns the loss of Ellen Brody, our beloved colleague, and prays for her family and the other families whose loved ones were lost and injured in yesterday’s tragedy.”
Every day, members of our community leave their homes to embark on what should always be a safe commute to work along with an uneventful return home. Our Town commits to all of those who live and work here that it will never stop working to protect and preserve their safety.
Rob Greenstein
Town Supervisor, New Castle
Editor’s Note: In addition to the loss of lives here in New Castle, the crash also claimed the lives of two Westchester residents: Walter Liedtke, a curator of European paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Eric Vandercar, 53, a senior managing director at Mesirow Financial; and from Danbury, Connecticut: Aditya Tomar, 41, who worked in asset management at JPMorgan. The Inside Press together with New Castle mourns the loss of precious lives with all the families and friends who have been impacted by this tragedy.
The family of Robert Dirks has created a fund to help his wife, Christine, and two young children, Owen, 5, and Phoebe, 2, with immediate expenses. In the first 24 hours of the fund’s creation, almost $50,000 was raised, thanks to efforts by Chappaqua Cares and the Chappaqua Moms Facebook group. Friends and neighbors of the Dirks, as well as local businesses, have rallied to help.
A benefit is planned at Jodi’s Gym on March 15th.