LADUE — The owner of an Illinois rail locomotive company was found dead over the weekend in the pool at his home in Ladue, police said Wednesday.
Steven L. Beal, 46, died Saturday, according to a statement from his company, National Railway Equipment Corp.
“The NRE family is devastated by this tremendous loss,” the statement said. It called Beal a “remarkable leader for the NRE family and a well-known and highly respected industry advocate.”
Ladue police Chief Ken Andreski Jr. said officers were called to the home on Ladue Lane on Sunday morning after Beal’s body was discovered. There were no signs of foul play, Andreski said, although the medical examiner will make the final determination.
NRE’s statement said that Beal had been in the railroad industry since the age of 12. His father, Lawrence Beal, founded the company in 1984 and Steven Beal took over after his father’s death in 2010, the statement said. Beal is survived by his wife Erin Beal and two young children, the company said.
NRE’s board named Beal’s brother-in-law, Patrick Frangella, and Rob Riley to a new executive committee to oversee the company until a new CEO is selected.
The company is headquartered in Mount Vernon, Illinois, and has 12 locations in North America and five in other countries. It calls itself “the world’s largest independent supplier of locomotive servicing, new and remanufactured locomotives, locomotive leasing, field services, parts, and salvage operations, serving … railroads around the globe.”