( CNN ) -- Sunday morning 's trip to the train station was a little different for Nancy Montgomery as she dropped off her husband . `` The moon was different , leaving for the train at 10 minutes to six . The way we said good-bye was different , '' Montgomery said . There was an extra kiss as she dropped him off , `` and there was such peace and quiet at the train station . He was the only one that got on in Cold Spring . '' Her husband , Jim Lovell , boarded the Metro-North commuter train into New York and headed south , along the Hudson River , toward Manhattan . The audio contractor had planned to join a rehearsal for NBC 's lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree on Wednesday . Instead , he was one of four New York state residents killed when the train derailed at high speed in a curve in the Bronx . Along with Lovell , 58 , the victims included Donna L. Smith , 54 , of Newburgh ; James M. Ferrari , 59 , of Montrose ; and So Kisook Ahn , 35 , of Queens . Montgomery told CNN 's Anderson Cooper 360 that when Lovell did n't respond to two text messages she sent after hearing of the crash , `` I knew that he was one of the victims . '' `` I did n't want to believe it , '' she said . `` And you know , I kind of slowly made my way to my car and made my way down to the scene , but it was pretty clear to me . In my heart , I knew . '' On NBC 's Today show , host Matt Lauer said Lovell was `` part of just about every big concert we ever had on our plaza . '' `` Jim was a friendly and welcome presence around here he was also an enormously talented guy who always did his job with grace , '' Lauer said . `` Even under extreme pressure , he was there working tirelessly with a smile on his face . '' Montgomery called her husband -- who also leaves behind three sons and a daughter -- `` pure goodness . '' And his eldest son , Finn , told CNN that Lovell `` was not a victim . '' `` Jim Lovell was so much more than just a victim , '' Finn Lovell said . `` He was a loving father , a great dad , best friend , uncle . Great co-worker , just always had had a smile on his face . I just want to say I 'm so proud and blessed that i was able to call him my father . ''
Jim Lovell was one of four who died in the Bronx crash . His wife says she knew he was dead when he did n't respond to texts . Lovell `` was so much more than just a victim , '' his son says .