Category: Memorial Corner
Former VP Robert Earley passes away
Former Vice President Robert “Bob” W. Earley, who served our union’s membership for decades, died June 7, 2022, at Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville, N.Y., after a short illness. Brother Earley, a member of Local 610 (Baltimore, Md.), began his railroad career in 1963 sta [...]
A Memorial Day message from TD President Ferguson
Brothers and Sisters, Today we reflect on and honor the sacrifices made by all the men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Without their protection, we would not be the country we are today, nor would we enjoy the freedoms that we do. As a veteran of [...]SMART-TD mourns the loss of Local 1374 conductor Erik O’Brien
Local 1374 (New Castle, Pa.) conductor Erik D. O’Brien, 44, lost his life Saturday, May 21, 2022, when his car hit the back of a semi-truck on his way home from work around 4 p.m. A 1996 graduate of Marlington High School in Alliance, Ohio, Brother O’Brien was a member of the [...]Longtime Mo. SLD passes away
William “Larry” Foster, a SMART Transportation Division Alumni Association member and retiree from Local 226 (Moberly, Mo.) who proudly served our union as Missouri’s state legislative director for the better part of two decades, passed away May 4 at his home. He was 80. Fost [...]
Local 202 member dies in yard accident
SMART Transportation Division member Jeff Jones of Local 202 (Denver, Colo.) passed away on Feb. 9, 2022, after a switching accident in Globeville rail yard in Denver. Brother Jones, of Northglenn, Colo., was a member of our union for more than a decade, joining in August 201 [...]Local 1715 bus operator killed by gunfire while in service in Charlotte, N.C.
A member of Local 1715 (Charlotte, N.C.) lost his life over the weekend in a senseless act of gun violence after he was shot Friday while operating his bus in Charlotte, N.C. Ethan Rivera, 41, a member of our union since May 2021, died Saturday while being treated at a Charlo [...]Member fatally shot in shooting
Amtrak conductor and Local 1470 (Edmonston, Md.) member James E. Blue III, 43, was shot multiple times Jan. 25 outside a home he was in the process of remodeling while talking on a cellphone to his son, who is away at college. He was taken to an area hospital where he was pro [...]Local 1704 mourns death of vice chairperson Debria Bradford
Vice Chairperson Debria L. Bradford (GCA-STU), 56, a longtime officer of SMART Transportation Division Local 1704 (Kansas City, Mo.), passed away Jan. 26, 2022. “She served numerous positions in our local — sergeant of arms, trustee,” said General Chairperson Sharon Harris (G [...]