A man who grew up in the Bronx was among the victims of Continental Commuter Flight 3407, which crashed near Buffalo late Thursday.

Ronald Gonzalez grew up in the Murphy Projects at 175th Street and Arthur Avenue in Crotona Park. According to his nephew, Ray Gonzalez, Ronald Gonzalez was living in New Jersey and working as the director of a New Brunswick Schools-based nonprofit youth services program.

Ray Gonzalez says his uncle was reliable and kind, and never missed a school play or a sports game. He believes his uncle was shaped by living in the Bronx and inspired by his childhood to dedicate his time to helping troubled youth. Ray says Gonzalez lived in the Murphy Projects with his mother and sister, and never forgot his roots in the Bronx.

?He loved the neighborhood,? Ray Gonzales says. ?He used to take us through Crotona Park. There are so many people who don't know the beauty of Crotona Park, or that it's even there, and at a young age, he took us through there.?

According to Ray Gonzalez, his uncle was a beloved community leader and well-respected among the children he worked with. He also says Gonzalez worked on policies to improve the lives of the children he mentored.