Agnes E. Imregh’s zest for life, her dedication to work, and her love for her family were paralleled by her passion for flying her single-engine Mooney airplane.

Yesterday, the 57-year-old woman, who escaped the Soviet takeover of Hungary in 1956 as a child, tragically crashed her plane near the Neponset River, authorities reported.

Imregh, the sole occupant, died on impact. The crash, occurring at 10:11 a.m., is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. Canton Police Chief Kenneth N. Berkowitz stated that witnesses heard the plane sputter before it went down. Motorists on Interstate 95 also reported seeing the plane flying low before disappearing into the woods.

Norwood Police spokesman Paul Bishop said Norwood airport officials, who had been in contact with the plane upon approach, called Norwood police after losing contact with the plane.

“The plane was about to land and they lost communication,” Bishop said, who also said the pilot did not indicate there was a problem prior to losing contact with the air traffic control tower.

But Bishop said Norwood and state police did get calls from drivers on Rte. 95 claiming the plane appeared to be in trouble.

The crash site, about a mile south of Norwood Municipal Airport, is a swampy, heavily wooded area. Remarkably, the aircraft did not catch fire.

“She had been flying for years and loved it,” her son, Anthony M. Candido, said yesterday. “She was a good pilot.”

Candido recounted how his mother and grandparents fled Hungary through Austria in 1956, escaping Soviet forces that crushed a democratic uprising in which his grandfather had participated. The family settled in Washington, D.C., where Imregh grew up.

An alumna of Harvard University and Harvard Business School, Imregh had a distinguished career as a marketing executive in the high-tech industry across California and Massachusetts. Her professional journey included stints at Atex, Data General, Morgan Stanley, and NEC.

“She was brilliant and lived life on her own terms with great passion,” Candido said.

Imregh moved to a quiet suburb in Dover four years ago, where neighbors noted her private nature and frequent absences.

“She was a very private woman,” said neighbor Elizabeth Sheehan. “She kept a beautiful home. It’s very sad.”

Imregh’s husband, Jeffrey S. Bostwick, speaking from Bucks County, Pa., explained her absences. She was a senior marketing manager in Pittsburgh for Sony Ericsson, a cellphone industry supplier.

The couple met through an Internet dating service three years ago and married 18 months ago, choosing to maintain separate homes and fly to see each other on weekends. Bostwick, inspired by her, obtained his own pilot’s license.

With over 1,500 flight hours, Imregh was skilled in instrument flying. Her 1979 Mooney M20J was in excellent condition, having just passed an annual mechanical checkup.

Candido shared that he had brunch with his mother the day before the crash. “She was a loving mother and grandmother with a lot of passion for her family and friends.”

Bostwick reflected on their brief time together. “She was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “We didn’t have a lot of time together, and I will miss her terribly.”

Skies were rainy and overcast at the time, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the weather was a factor, said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The cause was under investigation.