TODAY lost a member of its family this weekend. One of the victims of the tragic train derailment in the Bronx was Jim Lovell, 58, an audio technician who frequently worked on TODAY and other NBC programs. Lovell was on his way to work to do a setup for the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting special when the train derailed.
"He always did his job with grace, even under extreme pressure," Matt Lauer said on TODAY Monday.
"Everybody loved him, he was so good at what he did," Al Roker shared.
"He loved his TODAY comrades so much," Jim's wife Nancy told TODAY.
"He was always happy to go to work. I will miss his stories about his time there."
Executive producer Don Nash revealed the news in a note to the staff over the weekend:
Jim worked on TODAY for over 20 years. He was not only a skilled technician but also one of the nicest guys you ever met. You may have seen him working at many of our outdoor concerts. He always had a smile on his face and was quick to share a friendly greeting.Jim is survived by his wife, Nancy Montgomery, three sons, Hudson, Jack and Finn and a daughter, Brooke. On behalf of all of us who had the pleasure of working with Jim, our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to all of them. I will have more information on how we can express our support in the coming days. In the meantime, please keep the Lovells and all the families who lost loved ones in this horrible accident in your thoughts and pray.
Staffers took to Twitter to remember their colleague.
And Lovell's son Finn took to Instagram to memorialize his father:
"Word can't express how much my father meant to me. It's safe to say he molded me into the man I am today. I love you and I miss you. I can't believe your gone. This feels like an awful nightmare that I can't wake up from. Rest easy dad. I love you."