Hundreds of mourners packed churches in two Tristate cities Saturday to remember a Procter & Gamble executive and a flight attendant killed in the crash of Comair Flight 3272.
At Southern Missionary Baptist Church in Avondale, a
near-capacity crowd celebrated the life of Dexter ''D.C.'' Adams Sr., a senior global purchasing manager who was on a recruiting trip for P&G when the plane went down Jan. 9 in Raisinville Township, Mich.
The flight originated from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The scene was much the same at First Baptist Church in Covington, where funeral services were held for Darinda Lynn Ogden-Nilsen.
Both crash victims - among 29 people who perished in the crash of the Embraer Brasilia 120 - were eulogized by friends, relatives and colleagues who, at times, paused to brush back tears.
In Avondale, mourners watched a short video program that highlighted Mr. Adams' early years in Detroit and proudest moments - at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., his marriage to Angela Johnson, and the birth of his children, Dexter Jr., 6 months, and Ayrenne, 8.
They recalled the 41-year-old's
perennial smile and his love for tennis and a ''good steak.'' They also reminisced about his never-say-can't attitude and a joking nature that kept clients laughing even during the most serious business negotiations.
''He invited you in with that smile. I wish I had that smile now,'' said Darryl Mobley, who met Mr. Adams 23 years ago while the two were at West Point. Mr. Adams was still active in recruiting minorities to the academy, where he will be buried on Tuesday.
He also was deeply involved in his work and with the community, serving on the board of the Queen City Foundation to help provide more educational options for minority students.
''D.C.'s whole life was about giving back. He felt we owed,'' said Ronald Felder, president of the Queen City Foundation.
''We all say 'Why him?' He was such a good person, a great father, a loving husband, a person who had it all. The entire community has lost a leader.''
A scholarship fund is established at Star Bank for the education of Mr. Adams' children. Donations can be made to the Dexter Adams Children's Scholarship Fund, c/o Star Bank, 425 Walnut St., Cincinnati 45202.
At the service for Ms. Ogden-Nilsen,
several remembered the young woman's compassion, friendliness and faith in God. They talked about her ice skating lessons, her love for family and her bout with scoliosis.
Charles Curran, senior vice president of marketing for Comair, was among the first to speak.
''I knew Darinda from her very first day at Comair,'' Mr. Curran said. ''She was a lovely, lovely person. We'll all miss her, but we are better people for having known her.''
The woman's uncle, the Rev. William F. Barnard, read a note from a sympathy card sent by a passenger who was struck by Ms. Ogden-Nilsen's compassion during a past trip.
The author of the letter was ill, the Rev. Mr. Barnard said, and ''shouldn't have gotten on the flight.'' But Ms. Ogden-Nilsen ''was so good to me,'' the passenger wrote.
In a statement read by his brother, Ms. Ogden-Nilsen's husband, Richard Nilsen said there were not enough words to express their love for one another.
''She was my best friend,'' he said.
FAMILIES HELP EACH OTHER
COMAIR'S REPONSE PRAISED
PROFILES OF VICTIMS
TEN DAYS OF CRASH COVERAGE
