James Dermody, LIRR's former president, dies at 85

James Dermody, whose 48-year career at the LIRR saw him climb from ticket clerk to president of the largest commuter railroad in the nation, has died, according to his family.

The longtime Mastic Beach resident, and 37th president of the Long Island Rail Road, died Wednesday. Dermody was 85. He died at a Middle Island nursing home, where he was being treated for cancer and other health issues, said his brother, John Dermody, of St. Augustine, Florida.

James Dermody grew up in the Richmond Hill section of Queens and was just 17 when he began working for the LIRR as a ticket clerk at the Massapequa station.

"Somebody told me they were looking for people, and I was looking for a summer job," Dermody told Newsday in 1996.

Learning the many facets of the railroad, Dermody was promoted into various management jobs over the next five decades, including general manager of customer quality and service planning, chief transportation officer and senior vice president of operations. When LIRR president Kenneth Bauer retired in March 2003, Dermody was made acting president, and in September of that year, was formally installed as LIRR president.

"I enjoy working on the railroad," Dermody said after the announcement. "I believe the railroad is improving, and I believe we can do better for customers and employees and I would like to contribute to that."

Over his three years leading the LIRR, Dermody oversaw the modernization of Jamaica Station, with the introduction of the Kennedy Airport AirTrain, and the rollout of most of the railroad’s M-7 electric cars that still make up the majority of its fleet.

Dermody was also a key figure in early planning and construction efforts for the LIRR’s East Side Access megaproject, which culminated in the 2023 opening of Grand Central Madison.

"I know how proud he was when it was finished. He always looked at it as one of the signature achievements, not just of his tenure, but of the railroad because of what it meant for customers," said Mitchell Pally, who served on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board as its Suffolk representative during Dermody’s presidency.

"He had a rapport with people — with the staff and with customers — that was unmatched," Pally said.

Dermody’s time running the LIRR also included some challenges, including high deficits caused by LIRR pension costs, and the August 2006 death of a passenger who was struck by a train after falling through a gap between a train and a station platform.

The death sparked a Newsday investigation that found about 38% of station platforms had dangerous gaps. Dermody acknowledged the LIRR had been aware of the gaps "for years," but relied largely on posted signs to protect riders.

Weeks after the incident, Dermody retired — a couple years shy of his 50th anniversary at the LIRR. His brother said Dermody decided to step away from the LIRR because of health issues.

Dermody pursued various interests in retirement, including photography, CB radio and camping, according to his brother.

LIRR president Rob Free, who also began at the railroad in an entry-level job and worked under Dermody, in a statement called him "a good man and a true railroader who worked his way up through the ranks and had a vast knowledge of the railroad. The LIRR family will miss him dearly."

LIRR union leader Anthony Simon called Dermody "the definition of a true railroader" who never forgot his origins.

"Jim always put the railroad and its people first, earning the respect of everyone who had the privilege of working with him," Simon said.

Dermody’s wife Veronica and daughter Veronica "Patty" Dermody both died in recent years. Along with his brother, Dermody is survived by his daughter Maryann, of Mastic Beach, and a sister, Jean Guynn, of Houston.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated 11 a.m. Monday at St. Jude Roman Catholic Church in Mastic Beach, followed by burial at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Center Moriches.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.