Hope Reichbach, Levin’s Communications Director, Found Dead in Apartment

By on April 29, 2011 12:04 am in News, Obituaries

Hope Reichbach, who served as Communications Director for Council Member Stephen Levin, was found dead in her apartment yesterday. She was 22. The Brooklyn Paper reports that “a memorial service is scheduled for noon on Sunday, May 1 at Congregation Mt. Sinai (250 Cadman Plaza West in Brooklyn Heights).”

Brooklyn Paper: Police were called to the apartment near Hoyt Street at 2:35 pm and found Reichbach, the daughter of prominent Judge Gustin Reichbach who was just starting her own political career, lying on a bed. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of death was not immediately released, but a source said Reichbach died of an overdose of prescription drugs. An autopsy was scheduled to take place on Friday.

Ms. Reichbach was a guest blogger on BHB last September, during her unsuccessful bid to unseat incumbent Jo Anne Simon as Female Democratic District Leader.

Share this Story:

,

  • http://bivforbrooklyn.com Doug Biviano

    We were lucky to meet and get to know Hope last summer when she was campaigning. She was a lovely person, smart, compassionate, engaging and beautiful. It was obvious that she loved politics because she truly cared about everyone in the community.

    We are so sorry to hear
    and offer our condolences to the Reichbachs.

    The Bivianos

  • AEB

    Terrible!

  • brooklynheights1

    She was friends with two of my friends ( they went to weslyan with her). So sad… my thoughts go out to her family and friends.

  • Tony

    I was Hope’s 6th grade teacher and a couple of weeks ago received an email from her responding to my invitation to come to an assembly and speak about her life as a young political activist. What an awful tragedy.

  • David Fuller

    This is such a tragedy. Hope was such a nice, warm helpful person who was truly interested in Levin’s constituents. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and her extended family at Levin’s offices. -David and Judith

  • bklyn20

    A terrible loss. I don’t know the circumstances, but wish I had known she was suffering, so that I — only an acquaintance — could have tried to help her. So very sad.

  • lise

    So very sad. My heart aches for her family.

  • nabeguy

    I didn’t know her personally, but the loss of someone so young with such a promising future hurts terribly. My condolences to her family.

  • Tony

    Awful story. We shouldn’t assume this is a suicide; people sometimes take the wrong dosage.

  • Joe2: The Joe-ening

    My condolences to her, her, family, and those who knew her in this time of tragedy.

  • http://inklake.typepad.com Peter

    Ugh! My sincere condolences to all those who loved her.

  • T.K. Small

    This is such a tragedy. When young people die, with great promise ahead, it is particularly sad. My condolences and prayers go out to her family and friends.

    Just the other day, I heard that overdose has become the number one reason for accidental fatalities in Ohio, surpassing automobile accidents.

  • Gerry

    To die from an overdose of prescrition drugs one must take a boat load of pills. I have taken tons of pills in my day and woke up every time eventually I went cold turkey, went on suboxone and stopped abusing narcotics.

    This poor young person too bad that she had died alone and on drugs too bad that she did not reach out for help.

    I would think that the lables on the pill bottles will help in this investigation.

    May she rest in peace free from the anxiety that forced her to need to take so many pills.

  • Brooklyn Tea

    Every parent’s worst nightmare. Very, very sad. Our hearts go out to her family anf friends.

  • Eddy de Lectron

    Oh no, what a sad tragedy.

  • Henry

    Overdose, suicide — why speculate at least wait for an official report.

    BTW, how many overdoses are really recreational users who err?

  • bklyn20

    I should have mentioned that Hope was very petite. One extra pill taken by mistake is more dangerous for a smaller person than it would be for a 6ft 200 lb person. This could have been a simple, terrible mistake. Whatever the case, it’s a terrible tragedy.