Funeral held for Brooklyn pilot killed in D.C. plane crash
NEW YORK -- A funeral service for the American Airlines pilot killed in last month's collision near Washington, D.C. was held Tuesday in New York City.
Jonathan Campos, 34, was raised in southern Brooklyn and went John Dewey High School in Gravesend. He was one of two crew members from Brooklyn who were killed in the Jan. 29 crash over the Potomac River, along with 60 passengers.
His funeral service was scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Tuesday at St. Bernadette's Church in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
"Nothing short of extraordinary"
Family and friends came together Monday to remember the 34-year-old, who they say knew from a young age that he wanted to become a pilot. He was living out his dreams until the day he died.
"Jonathan was extraordinary, nothing short of extraordinary," said his longtime friend and former fiancée, Nicole Suissa.
"He took care of his family, he took care of his friends," added friend Sean Goldberg. "The world lost a great man."
"John's love for life consumed my world," said Ashley Childress, Campos' girlfriend of 10 years. "He made me braver than I thought I could ever be. His dreams became my dreams. His goals became part of my goals."
To honor his life, a water cannon salute took place in Washington, D.C. last Friday night for his final flight home to New York. A cherished item was also returned with his remains -- the NYPD badge that belonged to Campos' father, who died when he was just 9 years old.
"He kept it, he flew with it, flew with it the day of, crashed with it and, thankfully, his mom got it back on Friday," Suissa said.
Campos was laid to rest at St. John Cemetery alongside his father.
