Scarsdale Family Who Died in Costa Rica Buried

Shortly after the Steinberg family from Scarsdale died in a aeroplane crash in Republic of costa rica, their family and friends spent New year's Solar day nether a pall of unthinkable grief and sorrow.

Remembered as an idyllic and loving family, Irene and Bruce Steinberg and their sons Matthew, William and Zachary were killed with vii others when the small aircraft crashed Dominicus in Punta Islita, a mountainous region in the Costa Rican province of Guanacaste, popular among tourists.

Bruce'south mother, Dianne, struggled to observe words to draw the tragedy. Speaking past phone Monday, she often paused and fought back tears that seemed to well up with each memory of her grandchildren and their parents.

"This was a wonderful family, and really it'due south a loss not but for our family but for the whole community," she said, recounting Bruce and Irene Steinberg'southward outreach through many different community groups.

CRASH: Scarsdale family dies in Costa Rica plane crash

Costa Rican investigators said they are trying to determine the cause of the crash but that it was most likely the result of strong winds or mechanical problems. It happened on Sunday about 140 miles from the uppercase of San Jose.

No ane survived the crash and the bodies were recovered from the wooded site on Sunday night.

"No possibility can exist left out for certain," said Michael Soto, deputy director of Costa Rica'due south Judicial Investigation agency, though he said that strong winds were reported Lord's day in the area of the crash. "Nosotros have two aspects: the principle one would exist some weather condition condition and if at that place was a mechanical consequence."

The Steinbergs took the flight with a family of four from Florida as function of a tour organized past Backroads, a California-based company. The others killed were the Backroads tour leader, from Wisconsin, and the airplane pilot and co-pilot, both of Costa Rica.

Dianne Steinberg'southward voice cracked when thinking of the promising futures cut short for 14-yr-old Matthew, an eighth-grader at Fieldston School in Riverdale, and William, 19, and Zachary, 20, recent Scarsdale High School graduates who attended prestigious colleges.

"They were actually terrific kids, clean cut," she said, breaking down for a moment as she recounted the instance set past their parents.

"My girl-in-law was really loved past u.s. and loved united states…and she was very cognizant of the problems of other people," Dianne Steinberg said, speaking of Irene's work in community, religious and educational organizations.

When talking well-nigh her son, Dianne Steinberg's voice quivered and fell to a whisper.

"He was a neat kid and an astute businessman," she said. "It really is a tragedy."

The Steinbergs were members of the Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale. Rabbi Jonathan Blake informed members of the family'south death through social media.

"This tragedy hits our community very hard," Blake said on Facebook, adding the family became members in 2001 and were involved in organizations including the UJA-Federation of New York, AJC (American Jewish Commission), and Seeds of Peace.

"I know there will be much more to say in the coming days, and that so many of united states of america want to do everything nosotros can to express our grief and to show our support for their bereaved family," Blake said, referring to plans to organize memorial services shortly.

Bruce and Irene Steinberg had lived in Greenwich so Harrison before moving to Scarsdale in 2001. They lived on Greendale Route and but iii weeks agone bought a home side by side to their house on Windmill Lane in the village, co-ordinate to Westchester County state records.

An outpouring of community support flooded the Facebook page of Tamara Steinberg Jacobson, Bruce Steinberg's sis. Her page was filled with contempo family pictures and condolences from friends in the hours afterward the crash.

One pic was taken in Miami concluding week when the extended family celebrated several birthdays, including Zachary's, Matthew'southward, Bruce's 50th and his father's 80th.

Irene Steinberg's friend, Lyn Kaller of Scarsdale, said the Republic of costa rica consular official reported the plane crashed presently after takeoff. It happened while the family was on its way from the beach back to San Jose, where they would celebrate the New year.

"They were a very loving, close family," Kaller said. "They were devoted to their children. Whatever film you see of them it was full of smiles."

The trip to Costa Rica was the family's most contempo international circuit — other trips took them to Israel and through Europe — and was timed to coincide with schoolhouse holidays for the 3 boys.

Zachary Steinberg was a Johns Hopkins University sophomore who studied chemical and bio-molecular technology at its Whiting School of Engineering, college officials said.

"On behalf of the unabridged Johns Hopkins customs, we offer our deepest sympathies to the relatives and friends of the Steinberg family," college officials said in a message to students about the crash.

The message noted Zachary, 19, was involved with Hillel, a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, and an officer in Engineers without Borders.

"We know his loss volition securely impact many members of our community," the college said, adding it would be collecting expressions of condolences from the campus community to the Steinberg family.

Noam Bentov, executive director of Johns Hopkins Hillel, told the campus online news service, the Hub, that Zachary was active in campus Jewish life, equally an intern at Hillel, and was schedule to visit Israel this week on a Birthright program.

William Steinberg, 18, was a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, according to the campus newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Matthew Steinberg, 14, was an eighth-grader at Fieldston Schoolhouse in Riverdale in The Bronx.

Bruce Steinberg was a senior investment associate at Bridgewater Assembly, a major hedge fund based in Westport, Connecticut.

Irene Steinberg was employed in social work but had taken time off to raise her boys while her husband worked in investment banking, Kaller said.

She served on the Board of Directors of the American Jewish Committee's Westchester/Fairfield co-operative and was active on its Higher Campus Committee. She also chaired Scarsdale Loftier School's College and Career Center.

Schools Superintendent Thomas Hagerman sent a message nigh the tragedy to the customs Monday afternoon. He said grief counselors would exist available Tuesday when schoolhouse resumes, not only for district students merely also for any alumni who may still be on their college intermission.

The aeroplane that crashed was a Nature Air lease flight, co-ordinate to the USA TODAY Network. The Florida victims were identified equally Drs. Mitchell and Leslie Weiss of Belleaire, Florida, and their ii children, Hannah and Ari.

The bout guide was identified by Backroads as Amanda Geissler.

At a news conference, Enio Cubillo, director of Costa rica Ceremonious Aviation, said the Nature Air lease flying took off just later noon Sun from Punta Islita and was headed for the capital of San Jose when information technology crashed.

Cubillo said the cause was nether investigation.

He identified the pilot as Juan Manuel Retana and described him as very experienced. Sometime Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla said via Twitter that Retana was her cousin.

The same airplane had arrived in Punta Islita on Sunday morning from San Jose and was delayed in landing by strong winds, Cubillo said.

A Nature Air official on Monday said he couldn't talk nearly the situation, and the visitor didn't respond to a request for further comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Scarsdale Family Who Died in Costa Rica Buried

Source: https://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/scarsdale/2018/01/01/costa-rica-plane-crash-steinberg-victims-mourned/994298001/

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