The widow of the 67-year-old construction worker who was killed in the Carlton Mews collapse has been located and is living in the New York City area, according to the Daily News. Professional Grade Construction, the company that employed Winston Gellett, said it would pay for the  funeral costs, but then reneged on the plan after it discovered widow Deanna Simms had hired a lawyer, Simms said. She was forced to take out a loan for $11,500 to cover the costs of a grave, a casket, minister, musician, hearse and various other items, she added. Gellett emigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica in the 1980s, according to Simms. He worked in construction, and also at Kennedy Airport as a porter. His children live in Jamaica and will be unable to attend the funeral, she said, which takes place at 4 p.m. today at the Interboro Funeral Home, 544 Evergreen Ave., in Bushwick. The burial is set for Saturday at Rosehill Cemetery in Linden, N.J. In 2006, Gellett’s son Winston Jr. was shot during a robbery in Queens and left paralyzed.
Widow Says Construction Company Broke Promise [NY Daily News]
BREAKING: Major Building Collapse on Carlton Avenue [Brownstoner]


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  1. should be standard practice for ANY company to pay for the funeral costs (at the least) if a worker is killed while conducting business for that company. This should happen regardless of any possible liability/negligence. This company probably has millions in insurance for accidents so it’s unimaginable that this widow had to take
    out a loan for thousands of dollars.

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