Visitation set for Greece explosion victims in Yorktown

Visitation for the four New Yorkers killed in an explosion in Athens, Greece, will be held Wednesday at Yorktown Funeral Home.

Visitation is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at Yorktown Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow on Long Island.

The Westchester County Board of Legislators observed a moment of silence during its meeting on Sept. 28 in memory of the four people killed in the explosion on Sept. 25.

Among those killed was 34-year-old Florida Hoxha, who grew up in the Bronx and was a senior attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group, where she represented immigrants at risk of eviction. Hoxha also previously worked on Westchester County Board Chairman Vedat Gashi's campaign.

Gashi, who lives in Yorktown, said Hoxha was dedicated to helping others.

"She cared deeply about her environment. We have similar backgrounds. We're both Albanian Americans. And, she had a deep passion for helping other people," Gashi told ABC7.

Hoxha and Ian Kirkpatrick had married in August and traveled to Greece. Her brother, Florin Hoxha, was also vacationing there with his wife, Eris Cani, an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Touro College. Cani was five and a half months pregnant.

An elderly couple who owned the building also were killed in the explosion.

Authorities believe the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak. The blast leveled the three-story building where the group had been staying in the Plaka tourist district.

Gashi told ABC7 that Hoxha had recently expressed interest in running for elected office.

"She's been helping the community, been active and interested, and, always positive,” Gashi told the outlet, and called the loss “tremendous” for Westchester County and local communities.