Amtrak derailment victims: College dean, Naval Academy student, software architect and executives dead

Family and friends are mourning the deaths of their loved ones after the Amtrak train derailment in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter confirmed eight deaths and said that all the passengers thought to be on the train have been accounted for.

Giuseppe Piras

The Italian government confirmed that Giuseppe Piras, 41, an Italian national who worked in the wine and olive oil business, died in the derailment.

Piras, who was the last of the eight victims to be identified, was in the United States on business, according to Italian officials.

Laura Finamore

A spokesperson for the family of Laura Finamore, 47, said that she died in the crash.

Finamore, who worked in real estate as a senior account director at Cushman & Wakefield, was returning to her home in New York after attending a memorial service for a friend's mother, according to the family.

Her family learned that one of the victim's matched her description on Wednesday night, but they needed to wait for dental records to confirm the news.

Finamore is survived by her parents, brothers, nieces and nephews.

Derrick Griffith

Officials at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, N.Y., confirmed early Thursday that Derrick Griffith, dean of student affairs and enrollment management, was among the crash victims.

“Derrick was a pillar in the community. He served the students of Medgar Evers and the greater community with passion and he will be sorely missed,” a statement from the college reads.

Griffith, 42, was formerly a school principal and founded the CUNY Preparatory Transitional High School in 2003.

In 2011, he became the executive director for Groundwork, an organization dedicated to helping young people who live in low-income urban communities.

“He was a champion for the downtrodden and he encouraged students to pursue education with vigor,” the statement continues.That same year, Griffith joined Medgar Evers College as assistant provost, and he went on to fill several other roles during his time there.

Just one month ago, the City University of New York Graduate Center awarded Griffith a doctorate of philosophy in urban education.

Abid Gilani

Also among the deceased is Abid Gilani, 55, a married father of two and vice president of Wells Fargo’s hospitality finance group.

“It is with great sadness that Wells Fargo confirms that Abid Gilani, a valued member of our commercial real estate division, has passed away” company spokesperson Elise Wilkinson said in a statement.

He and his wife, Diane, are originally from Canada but have lived in the United States for many years, CBC reported.

In Rockville, Md., his widow told reporters that he was a “dear person” and “a kind family man.”

“We have suffered a tremendous loss today. He’ll be sorely missed,” she said. “He was really a wonderful person.”

Gilani, who split his time between Washington and New York, had previously worked for the Marriott hotel chain.

Rachel Jacobs

Rachel Jacobs, 39, the CEO of Philadelphia-based technology education company ApprenNet, also died in the crash. Co-workers reportedly found out Wednesday afternoon that Jacobs was on the train after wondering about her whereabouts since Tuesday night.

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On Wednesday evening, her family confirmed her death.

Jacobs, a wife and mother of a 2-year-old, commuted to Philadelphia twice a week from New York, WPIX reported.

Originally from Detroit, Jacobs received an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from Swarthmore College, according to her company’s website.

Jacobs used to work for Ascend Learning as vice president of strategy and business development. She took the top position at ApprenNet in late March.

She ultimately planned to move to Philadelphia after she finished the first round of funding for the startup and expanded its team.  

The Amtrak train was carrying 243 people and speeding at 106 mph when it went off the tracks about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday — killing at least seven and injuring many others.

Officials say that more than 200 people have been treated at hospitals and health systems in the Philadelphia metro area.

It was difficult to get any information about Jacobs’s travels from the railroad service because she had an Amtrak Ten Ride Ticket rather than a reserved ticket, so she had not been on any lists, according to ApprenNet COO Emily Foote.

“We called, texted and emailed her right when the crash happened, because we knew she was on the train,” Foote told Philadelphia Magazine early Wednesday before learning of Jacobs’s fate. “I went to the hospitals last night, and she wasn’t in any of them. I went to the churches and schools where people are being sheltered.”

Justin Zemser

On Wednesday morning, the U.S. Naval Academy confirmed that one of its students, 20-year-old Justin Zemser, died in the crash.

“The Naval Academy is deeply saddened to report that a midshipman was named as one of the passengers who lost their life in the Amtrak train which crashed in north Philadelphia at approximately 9:30 p.m. last night,” a statement from the academy reads.

The young man’s mother, Susan Zemser, said her only son was heading home to Rockaway Beach, N.Y., after finishing his second year at the academy in Annapolis, Md.

An accomplished football player, Zemser was captain of the Channel View High School team two years in a row and on the All-Borough Team in 2012. He continued to play football for Navy.

Zemser was also elected president of the student government in high school.

Jim Gaines

Jim Gaines, a 48-year-old father of two who worked as a video software architect for the Associated Press, also died in the crash.

He was returning home to Plainsboro, N.J., after attending meetings in Washington, D.C.

Gaines is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and their two children: 11-year-old daughter Anushka and 16-year-old son Oliver.

The AP says that he joined the news service in 1998 and took on a central role for many of its video initiatives.

For his “tireless dedication and contagious passion” for innovation, he was awarded AP’s “Geek of the Month” award in May 2012. He was also on a team that received the AP Chairman’s Prize in 2006 after the team developed a video network for the news wire.

Bob Gildersleeve

Bob Gildersleeve, 45, of Maryland, was identified as the victim Thursday, the same day that a body was pulled the wreckage; police dogs led authorities to the spot.

For over two decades, Gildersleeve worked for the Minnesota-based food-safety company Ecolab.

He lived near Baltimore with his wife and two children, ages 16 and 13.

The day before, Gildersleeve's family had been handing out flyers and pleading for anyone with information on his whereabouts to call them or the Philadelphia police.

Gildersleeve’s sister told Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Chris Palmer that he was traveling from Baltimore to New York for business; the family checked area hospitals and the crash site but has not found any sign of him.

The man’s 13-year-old son, Marc, said, “Please help me find my dad” while carrying a piece of paper with his picture on it.

Investigators are still reviewing the available information.

The National Transportation Safety Board has confirmed that preliminary data shows the train was traveling at more than 100 mph at the time of derailment.

Anyone seeking information about friends or family members who were aboard the train is encouraged to call a special Amtrak number: 800-523-9101.

This story has been updated since initial publication to reflect recent fatality confirmations.

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