Latest news with #WilkinsonStekloff
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
Plane Crash Victim Was Returning Home from Work Trip When She Died on 33rd Birthday: 'Deeply Loved'
A Washington, D.C. attorney, who was one of 67 people aboard American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter, died on her 33rd birthday. Elizabeth Anne Keys was returning home from a business trip along with another attorney from her D.C. law firm Wilkinson Stekloff, according to ABC affiliate WCPO-TV and The Cincinnati Enquirer. The Tufts University and Georgetown University Law Center graduate is remembered for her legal prowess and lovable, vibrant personality. "She was just the best partner and so special, had such a sharp wit and just really pushed everyone around her to be the best versions of themselves," her boyfriend of six years, David Seidman, told The Enquirer. Related: Grandfather 'Still in a State of Shock' After Daughter and Grandson Killed in D.C. Plane Crash (Exclusive) He recalled meeting her in law school, where she had a natural magnetism. "She was so witty and sharp and I wanted to be part of her study group — everybody did,' Seidman said. Those who worked with her are also remembering the Cincinnati native. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Beyond being an excellent lawyer, Liz brought fearlessness, humor and sharp wit to work every day no matter the setting or circumstances," Wilkinson Stekloff said in a statement obtained by WCPO. Prior to practicing at the D.C. firm, Keys was a law clerk for Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. In law school, she served as managing editor of the Georgetown Food and Drug Law Journal and interned for Judge Paul L. Friedman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Judge Michael R. Barrett of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, according to her bio on the law firm's website. Related: Kiah Duggins, Civil Rights Attorney and Former Miss Kansas Contestant, Killed in D.C. Plane Crash: 'Beautiful Soul' Keys, a 2014 graduate of Tufts where she was on the school's varsity sailing team, was the valedictorian of the 2010 class at Madeira High School in Cincinnati. More than all of her accomplishments, Keys — known for her love of ski trips with friends and visits to Hawaii — will be missed in a multitude of ways, her family said. "She loved deeply and was deeply loved," according to a statement to WCPO. "Liz was a warm, generous woman. She was so fun — and funny! Liz had a sharp wit and appreciated it in others. Gatherings were always better when Liz was there; she was filled with light and joy. Liz was a dear friend to so many, offering her best self to them all. Her hugs were wonderful!" The statement added, 'Words cannot express how deeply Elizabeth, my Bitsy, will be missed. We are filled with unbearable sorrow and despair at our loss.' Keys leaves behind her parents, Martin and Mary Keys, in addition to 'the love of her life' Seidman and their Yorkie, Tucker. Read the original article on People
Washington Post
31-01-2025
- General
- Washington Post
The lives lost in the D.C. plane-helicopter crash
American Eagle Flight 5342 had 60 passengers and four crew members aboard as the plane collided with an Army helicopter carrying three crew members, a crash with no survivors just outside Reagan National Airport whose horror reverberated across the country. Among those presumed dead are competitive figure skaters, many of them children who dreamed of making it to the Olympics and their parents who shuttled them to and from skating events to help make those dreams come true. There was the renowned former Russian Olympic figure skating duo who coached some of those kids. A flight attendant who embraced his life of travel. The helicopter crew chief who had a smile for everyone, especially his infant son. The crash happened three days after the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships — the most prestigious annual event on the American figure skating calendar — concluded in Wichita, where the American Airlines flight originated. 'This is a terrible tragedy that will unite those in Washington, D.C., and those in Wichita, Kansas, forever,' Wichita Mayor Lily Wu. As family members and friends grieve, they also shared memories of the lives they now mourn. This story will update as more information is available. Sarah Lee Best with her husband Daniel Solomon. (Daniel Solomon/Daniel Solomon) Sarah Lee Best, 33 Sarah Lee Best was an associate at the Wilkinson Stekloff law firm in the D.C. area. She was a hard worker, but she always found time for kind gestures, said her husband of almost ten years, Daniel Solomon. One Valentine's Day, she surprised him with an elaborate spread of chocolates, handmade cards, balloons, and candles. Solomon said they first met at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he teaches classical studies. He said Sarah's love of classics is what brought them together. For their 10th anniversary, which would have come on Feb. 21, the pair had planned to finally take their honeymoon this May in Hawaii — where Sarah was born. Read more Kiah Duggins, 30 From Washington Kiah Duggins had been visiting her hometown of Wichita out of her devotion to her family, they told KMUW 89.1, NPR's Wichita affiliate. The 30-year-old civil rights attorney wanted to be with her mother during a surgical procedure. On Wednesday she was headed back to D.C., where she worked as an attorney for Civil Rights Corps, a nonprofit 'dedicated to challenging systemic injustice in the United States' legal system,' according to its website. Harriet's Wildest Dreams, a D.C.-founded, Black-led mutual aid and community defense organization, shared a post on Instagram in dedication to Duggins and her work with their organization. Read more (Family photo) Ian Epstein, 53 From Charlotte Ian Epstein was one of the flight attendants working aboard American Eagle Flight 5342, according to family members who also described him as a father, stepfather, husband and brother who was 'full of life.' 'He loved being a flight attendant because he truly enjoyed traveling and meeting new people,' his sister and former wife wrote in text messages on behalf of the family. Read more Jinna Han, 13 and Jin Han, 49 From the Boston area Jinna Han was an only child who had been skating since she was 4 years old, said Olga Ganicheva, a figure skating coach at the Skating Club of Boston. Ganicheva said she had worked for years with Jinna, who was on the plane with her mother, Jin Han. Read more Liz Keys with her dog Tucker on Christmas Day. (Family photo) Liz Keys, 33 From D.C., grew up in Madeira, Ohio Liz Keys was an attorney with a sharp sense of humor who played the saxophone, the oboe and the bassoon. She walked on to the sailing team at Tufts University, and lived in D.C. with a 10-pound rescue Yorkie named Tucker and her life partner, David Seidman, whom she met at Georgetown Law School. Read more Christine Conrad Lane, left, and her son Spencer Lane. (Family photo) Spencer Lane, 16, and Christine Conrad Lane, 49 From Rhode Island Christine Conrad Lane and her son Spencer had been chasing his figure skating dreams at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships alongside aspiring young skaters from the Skating Club of Boston. His eyes were set on the Olympics. Lane's father described Christine as bright, energetic and creative. She had been a freelance graphic designer and had just gotten her real estate license. She and her husband, Doug Lane, helped drive Spencer an hour each way to a Boston rink to support his figure skating, which he practiced four days a week, his grandparents said in a telephone interview. Read more Ryan O'Hara was the crew chief on the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with American Eagle Flight 5324. (Family photo) Ryan O'Hara, 28 From Arlington County Ryan O'Hara, the crew chief on the Black Hawk helicopter that was part of Wednesday's crash, was a 'wonderful kid' who had a smile for everyone and loved being in the Army, his father said. He had just texted his dad earlier on Wednesday about a new assignment that might bring him, his wife and their 1-year-old son back to Georgia later this year. 'He doted on that boy,' Gary O'Hara, Ryan's father said. Read more Jesse Pitcher, 30 From Calvert County, Maryland Jesse Pitcher, who had just spent days on an annual wilderness trip, duck hunting and talking shop with other plumbers, was on his way home to his wife, Kylie. Read more Lori Schrock, 56, and Robert 'Bob' Schrock, 58 From Kiowa, Kansas Ellie Schrock, a junior at Villanova University in Philadelphia, was excited about seeing her parents this week. Robert 'Bob' and Lori Schrock were heading from Wichita to Washington on Wednesday. From there they'd travel on to see her. She knew their flight number: American Airlines 5342. And then came the late-night news: their plane and a military helicopter had collided minutes before landing. Read more Wendy Jo Shaffer, 35 From Charlotte Wendy Jo Shaffer, of Charlotte, was a wife and mother of two young children. A family spokesman, reached by phone, declined extended comment but sent a statement via text: 'We are devastated. Words cannot truly express what Wendy Jo meant as a daughter, a sister, a friend, a wife and most importantly, a mother.' Read more Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov shown in a 1995 performance. (Shizuo Kambayashi/AP) Evgenia Shishkova, 52, and Vadim Naumov, 55 Originally from Russia, lived in the United States since 1998 Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who were married, were renowned former Russian figure skaters who went on to coach young skaters in Boston. Their son, Maxim Naumov, 23, competed in the men's U.S. Figure Skating Championships competition in Wichita, finishing fourth, and left Kansas on an earlier flight than his parents. Read more
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Yahoo
‘Dear friend to so many;' Area woman killed in D.C. plane crash
67 people were killed in a collision between a plane and military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, and one of the victims is a Madeira High School grad who worked as an attorney in D.C., her family told WCPO 9 News. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Elizabeth Anne Keys, 33, was a Cincinnati native, valedictorian of her high school, and graduate from Tufts University and Georgetown University Law Center. Keys worked at Wilkinson Stekloff, a law firm with offices in D.C., according to WCPO. TRENDING STORIES: Student at local university among those killed in D.C. plane crash Local school alerts families to THC vapes after 2 found on campus Mother says local teacher on leave had inappropriate contact with daughter Key's biography through Wilkinson Stekloff says she interned for Judge Michael R Barrett of the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and was a law clerk for Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the US District Court for the District of Columbia. According to WCPO, Keys was on the flight from Witchita, KS to D.C. The airline confirms that there were 60 passengers and four crew members on the plane. There were three people in the Black Hawk, a captain, a staff sergeant and chief warrant officer 2. The president confirmed Thursday everyone on board the passenger jet and the military helicopter had died. 'She loved deeply and was deeply loved,' her family said in a statement to WCPO. 'Liz was a warm, generous woman. She was so fun — and funny! Liz had a sharp wit and appreciated it in others. Gatherings were always better when Liz was there; she was filled with light and joy. Liz was a dear friend to so many, offering her best self to them all. Her hugs were wonderful!' Her family said Keys is survived by her parents, Martin and Mary, her partner, David, and her dog, Tucker. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
