Monument In Memory Of New Milford Terror Victim Unveiled

NEW MILFORD, NJ — Darren Drake's birthday was Sunday. He was not alive to celebrate it because he was killed in an act of terrorism more than a year ago.

But Drake's family and friends remembered him on his birthday with the unveiling of a memorial at Borough Hall created in his honor.

Drake was one of eight people killed on Oct. 31, 2017 when Sayfullo Saipov of Paterson drove a truck he rented from Home Depot onto a bike path in Manhattan along the Hudson River in what officials said was an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack. (See related: 'Good Man With A Huge Heart': Friends Remember NYC Terror Victim)

“He really didn’t like attention for himself," Drake's father Jimmy said at the unveiling, Northjersey.com reported. "The town actually went out of its way to create that monument, create the ceremony and afford Darren probably the highest respect, honor and regard a town could offer someone."

Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat representing New Jersey's 5th District, spoke at the unveiling.

"It’s really hard to believe that it was a year ago that we lost Darren — a year ago that hundreds of men and women, young and old, came out and wrapped around the corner of Boulevard Funeral Home to pay their respects to a remarkable young man," Gottheimer said. "The New Milford community came together for Darren, for the Drakes and for our broader North Jersey community. We’re standing here today in honor of Darren and his remarkable life and spirit. But, beyond that, we’re here to ensure that Darren’s legacy lives on through action for good, by helping others succeed by protecting families in our great country and in our state."

Drake's memory has been honored in other ways, besides the memorial.

The Darren Drake Memorial Fund, together with the Moody's Foundation, created a scholarship in his memory. Drake worked for Moody's.

Gottheimer introduced the bipartisan Darren Drake Combating 21st Century Weapons of Terror Act. The legislation is designed to safeguard against terrorists or potential terrorists from carrying out vehicle-based attacks. The Darren Drake Act would require car dealers and rental agencies to immediately alert federal counter-terrorism agencies if a known or potentially dangerous terror suspect acquires a vehicle. (See related: Anti-Terror Act Named After New Milford's Darren Drake Announced)

Drake graduated from New Milford High School in 2003. He earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Rutgers University's School of Arts and Sciences and a master's degree in Management Information Systems from Fairleigh Dickinson University, his obituary states.

Drake was former president of the New Milford Board of Education and a project manager for Moody's. He was in the process of earning a second master's degree from the Steven's Institute of Technology.

"As Jimmy told me, Darren was just a good kid. A good soul. Whether it was his work on the school board, at Moody’s, in class, or in politics, people just loved Darren – and Darren loved everyone, Gottheimer said. "I just wish, like so many others have said, that I could have had the honor of spending more time with him."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo, from left: Barbara Drake, Darren's mother, New Milford Council President Michael Petrino, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, and Jimmy Drake, Darren's father. (Courtesy of Zack DiGregorio)