Crime & Safety

Reported Missing Yorktown Man Dies After Car Accident in New Castle

The article was originally published on July 9, 2013 at 10:35 a.m. It has since been updated to include more information. 

Garrison (Gary) R. Corwin Jr., the 78-year-old Yorktown Heights man who was reported missing when he didn't make it home on Sunday night, has died. 

New Castle police told Patch that Corwin Jr. was involved in a fatal, single-auto accident at around 9 p.m. Monday, July 8. Police could not immediately release more information about the accident, which occurred off Campfire Road, near the intersection of the Taconic State Parkway exit in Millwood.

Yorktown Police Lt. Kevin Soravilla confirmed that Corwin Jr.'s family has been notified. 

Monday afternoon, Yorktown police released information about the missing man and sought the public's help. Police said Corwin Jr. was last seen leaving a yacht club in Rye on July 7 at about 7:15 p.m. but that he never returned home. He was driving his silver, black top Mini Cooper.

Yorktown realtor William Primavera, a friend of Gorwin's, called him one of the "most interesting" people he has ever met. 

"When I first opened my public relations agency, Gary was the lawyer who walked me through the process and many times came to my aid when I got myself in trouble in one way or another," Primavera said. "He was always there to offer creative solutions to problems that come with owning one's own business."

On a personal level, Primavera said Corwin Jr. was an "eccentric kind of guy, a real character" who always spoke his mind for those things he believed in.

"For instance, he was head of Yorktown's Landmarks Preservation Commission when the entire committee stormed off in a huff when the town refused to landmark The Winery at St. George," Primavera said. "[Corwin Jr.] was a stickler for principle and not shy about having his opinions known."

Primavera remembered Corwin Jr. and his wife Rosie would go to the openings of restaurants and enjoy life. 

"He was always nattily dressed like a country squire and spoke in a distinctive way like a gentleman," Primavera said about his friend. 

Check back for more updates as soon as information becomes available.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.