Steven Rowland Death – The quiet suburb has been deeply affected by the tragic loss of three family members in a wrong-way crash on the Merritt Parkway. The victims have been identified as 65-year-old Steven Rowland, 80-year-old Thomas Lucian Vitale, and 81-year-old Olga Vitale, all residents of Easton. Steven Rowland, who was driving the couple’s minivan, was the nephew of the Vitales. The collision occurred on Route 15 South around 1:45 a.m. near Exit 53 when their vehicle was struck head-on by a wrong-way driver.
Catherine Gombos, a neighbor of Rowland for over three decades, expressed the community’s grief, saying, “We’re all mourning because we want more. We want more of Steven and his aunt and uncle, more of the contributions that they’ve made. I cannot tell you how sick to my stomach I’ve been since I heard yesterday morning.”
Obituaries for the crash victims, along with information about memorial services, have not yet been released. Gombos shared that Steven Rowland, who had three adult children, worked as an architect in New York City. He played a significant role in the construction of the Samuel Staples Elementary School in the mid-2000s, serving as the chair of the building committee.
“He was an incredible father and contributing community member,” Gombos praised. “He gave selflessly of his time for the Board of Education when we built the new school. He gave selflessly of his time when we did the addition for the Joel Barlow High School, sharing his talents as an architect with the community as a volunteer.”
David Stichter, a former longtime neighbor, also spoke highly of Rowland and his family, stating that they warmly welcomed his own family when they moved to the community two decades ago.