To the ones we
lost, we will not forget.........We pray
for all the families that have lost a loved
one.....
Bennett-Bryan C. 25, New York
(formerly of Greenwich) In describing
her son, Ondina Bennett uses these words: Gentle, strong, responsible,
loving,
selfless. He had such tremendous dignity for such a young man. And he
knew
how to enjoy life. Bryan Bennett started at Cantor Fitzgerald's Speed
division
in customer support last year, where he worked on the 104th floor of
the
north tower. He lived in Manhattan, wanting to remain close to his
family,
including his mother and sister, Lili O'Malley, who live in Greenwich.
He
has another sister, Lourdes O'Connor, who lives in Houston.Since
Tuesday,
His tight-knit group of friends, which reach back to his days growing
up
in Glen Ridge, N.J., have has been searching for him in New York City.
Those
friends have continued to be a strong support for the family. The
quality
of young men who have been surrounding us is a tribute to Bryan,
because
you are who your friends are, said his mother said. And it's a tribute
to them. A 10 a.m. memorial service is set for Saturday, September 22,
at St.
Catherine of Siena Church in Riverside.
Blackwell-Christopher 42, Putnam
Lake, N.Y., grew up in New Fairfield A veteran
New York City firefighter with Rescue 3, Blackwell is among the
hundreds
of missing rescuers who responded to the World Trade Center attack
September
11. While the firefighter made his home in Putnam Lake, he kept ties to
Connecticut, where he grew up in New Fairfield. Since the early 1990s,
he
worked part time as a paramedic with Danbury Ambulance, earning the
respect
of his colleagues. He's like our local hero. For him to work in that
rescue
company and then come here, he brought a lot of knowledge and
experience
to us in this area, said Matthew Cassavechia, director of operations at
Danbury Ambulance. He started as a volunteer fireman at the age of 16,
said
his mother Frances Blackwell Allan, who lives in Danbury. He worked as
a
fireman for more than 20 years and was recognized with the Thomas
Kenney
Award for Courage and the New York Medal of Valor. Through his
paramedic
work with Danbury Ambulance, he was known at the Ridgefield Fire
Department,
where he visited about a week before the attacks and was attempting to
set
up some training classes for the firefighters. His specialty,
Ridgefield
Fire Chief Louis Yarrish said, was building collapses and trench
rescues.
Yarrish described Blackwell as a dedicated family man who loved his
wife,
three children and work. He loved his job and helping people, Yarrish
said. That's Chris, he'd risk his life to save someone else's.
Cassavechia said
he holds out hope that Blackwell can be found in one of those voids or
was
able to seek shelter, he said. Our feeling among everyone in this area
is that there may be a chance.
Braginsky-Alexander, 38, Stamford
The Russian immigrant adored this country,
his job at Reuters, and his fiancee, Kelly Kazes. Alexander Braginsky,
manager
of the company's foreign exchange products, usually worked at the Times
Square
offices. But when a ticket for a Reuters sales meeting at the World
Trade
Center on September 11 unexpectedly became available, Braginsky jumped
at the
chance of going. By 8:30 that morning, he was eating breakfast at the
Windows
on the World restaurant atop the north tower, Kazes told The Stamford
Advocate.
Eighteen minutes later, the first hijacked airliner exploded into the
building.
Reuters said six of its employees, including lexander Braginsky, are
missing
in the collapse. His mother, Nelly Braginsky, has not let go. We are
still
waiting for him, she said. He is strong, healthy. He has to survive.
We
watch to see them pull out somebody, our Alex, alive.
Carstanjen-Christoffer M. 33,
formerly of StamfordChristoffer M. Carstanjen
was on his way to San Diego for a vacation when he boarded United
Flight
175, the second jet that crashed into the World Trade Center on
September 11.
Born in Stamford, Carstanjen grew up in Connecticut, and was a graduate
of
Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village. He lived in
Turners
Falls, Mass, and joined the staff at the University of Massachusetts in
Amherst as a computer research analyst in November, a UMass spokeswoman
said.
He was a graduate of UMass University Without Walls, and colleagues
remember
him as extremely outgoing and friendly. A trained chef, Carstanjen had
an associate's degree in culinary arts from Paul Smith's College in New
York.
His family has established a memorial fund.
Cherry-Stephen , 41, Stamford You
never have met a man less pretentious
and more devoted to his family than Stephen, Cherry's friend and
Hemlock
Drive neighbor Rose M. Buchetto said. A prominent partner at Morgan
Stanley, he never boasted. You wouldn't have known it, Buchetto said.
His world
was his four boys and his wife, Mary Ellen. They were recently back
from
a trip to Montana. Cherry, 10 days shy of his 43rd birthday, managed to
call a colleague just moments after the first hijacked airliner smashed
into
the north tower of the World Trade Center. Family members said Cherry
appears
to have been helping others escape. He has not been heard from since.-
The
Hartford Courant
Cherry-Stephen Patrick, a Stamford
resident, died Tuesday, September 11. He was
41. He died in the collapse of the World Trade Center, according to his
family.
Born September 25, 1959, in New York City, he was the son of Sharon
Ritchie Mullin
of Los Angeles and Donald Cherry of Las Vegas. Mr. Cherry attended the
Kent
School in Kent and the University of Las Vegas. He was a partner at
Cantor
Fitzgerald & Co. in New York City. He was an avid golfer,
especially
when playing with his four sons. In addition to his parents, he is
survived
by his wife, Mary Ellen Cherry of Stamford; four sons, Jeremy Forest
Cherry,
Peter Ross Cherry, Brett Scott Cherry and Colton Patrick Cherry, all of
Stamford;
his brother, Sean Ross Cherry of West Palm Beach, Fla.; his stepfather,
Terry
Mullin of Los Angeles; and his stepmother, Francine Cherry of Las
Vegas.--The
Greenwich Time
Cloud-Geoffrey, Geoffrey's
7-year-old son, Geoffrey, often
ate dinner at the home of his best friend and baseball buddy, Evan
Brace,
7. The Brace and Cloud families, neighbors on Westover Avenue in
Stamford,
Conn., had grown close over the years. Their common bond was their
children.
Cloud, 36, worked 12-hour days or longer as a lawyer for the financial
securities
firm Cantor Fitzgerald at the World Trade Center. Most weekends, all he
wanted
was to hang out with Geoffrey, daughter Jacqueline, 5, and his wife,
Mio.
But Cloud, who worked on the 104th floor, was trapped after the first
hijacked
plane smashed into the north tower. He was such a gentle, wonderful
man, Susan Brace said. He'd drop
over to the yard and have a beer with my husband, Steven, on the
weekends.
They'd toss a ball with the kids. He worked such long hours that
whenever
he had free time, he'd spend it at home. Susan Brace said the neighbors
have rallied around Mio Cloud, also an attorney. She was in the process
of
buying a new house, but now, with her life changed forever by
terrorists,
her neighbors are trying to help her get her deposit back. Then there's
the matter of the past-due bills, which I've been handling, said Susan
Brace. Everyone, Nissan for the car and all the rest, have been very
understanding.
It is just such a tremendous loss.--The Hartford Courant
Coleman-Keith , 31
Coleman-Scott T. 34, both
formerly of WestportNeither Jean nor Neil
Coleman can bear to talk about their two sons, who were both working on
one
of the top floors of the trade center's north tower when American
Airlines
Flight 11 hit the building last Tuesday. They were close as children
and
continued to be close, said their mother, Jean Coleman, a Westport
resident
who has been in New York waiting word about her two sons. Keith,
resident
of New Jersey, and his younger brother, a New York resident, both
worked
for the financial securities firm Cantor Fitzgerald. They graduated
from
Staples High School in Westport. Relatives said there were no calls
from
either brother the day of the attack, and there has been no word from
either
since.
Coppo-Joseph 47, New Canaan Coppo joined Cantor Fitzgerald less
than a
year ago after the giant bond firm bought out a small, successful
company
co-owned by Coppo that traded in municipal bonds. Coppo moved into
Cantor's
offices on the 104th floor of 1 World Trade Center, the north tower. On
the
morning of September 11, the father of four was on the phone with a
close friend
from California. At 8:48, he abruptly cut into the conversation. He
said, A plane just hit the building. I've got to get out of here,
Coppo's son,
Matthew, 18, recounted. That is all the family knows. Matt's brother,
Joseph,
19, went to Cantor Fitzgerald's information center at a hotel in lower
Manhattan,
but could learn nothing about his father. Coppo was the captain of the
Manhattan
College baseball team in the early 1970s, and imparted his love of
sports
to his children. He coached youth baseball and basketball in New
Canaan. For him, everything centered on us, said Matt, a senior at St.
Luke's
in New Canaan. He taught us a lot of things through sports. He never
forced
us, but if we didn't go out for something, he'd ask why. He used sports
as
a base point. Coppo's wife, Patricia, is a homemaker, and his daughter,
Kathleen, 22, teaches school in Rye, N.Y. Joseph is a sophomore at
Boston
College, and the youngest, John, 13, is an eighth-grader at St. Luke's.
Curioli-Paul, 51, Norwalk Did you hear that? Kathi Curioli asked
her
son
Thursday as he played catch with friends outside their Norwalk home.
Some
firefighters were found alive today, she said referring to a report
from
New York that five firefighters who had been trapped in an SUV since
Tuesday
had been rescued. The news proved later to have been incorrect. Two
firefighters
searching the rubble had been trapped for several hours before being
rescued.
But the report, at the time, gave Curioli hope. It was just the kind of
news
she wanted her sons, 12 and 15, to hear while they waited with friends
and
family for any news about the whereabouts of their father. We're
hopeful
here, very hopeful, she said. I just want people to pray for him.
Curioli,
a vice president with FM Global, a commercial and industrial property
insurance
company with offices worldwide, was in Manhattan attending a meeting on
the
102nd floor of the World Trade Center when the towers were struck by
the
hijacked jetliners. A colleague told Kathi Curioli he last saw her
husband
fleeing down the stairwell on the 78th floor. Eight family members were
searching
hospitals throughout the city, handing out fliers with her husband's
photo,
she said.--The Hartford Courant
Eagleson-Bruce, 53, Middlefield
The former general manager of Westfield
Shoppingtown Meriden was helping fellow employees evacuate from the
17th
floor of the south tower when he went back to his office to get two-way
radios
so workers could stay in touch. That was the last time friends and
fellow
employees said they saw Bruce Eagleson, 53. That sounds just like
Bruce,
thinking of other people, said William J. Eagleson, a Cheshire resident
and Bruce's older brother. Family members are now holding out hope that
Eagleson
continued down a stairwell to get out of the building but somehow got
trapped
in the lower floors or basement. There appeared to be plenty of time
for
him to get the radios and still get down to the bottom of the building,
William Eagleson said. We understand that because of all the debris on
the
lower floors, emergency crews were redirecting people out exits other
than
the ones they would normally use in that stairwell. Those exits were
further
and deeper into the building, which for us offers a glimmer of hope.
The
family is hoping that Eagleson may still be alive and trapped in a
pocket
of debris amid the mounds of rubble. Eagleson's oldest son, Kyle, was
able
to speak to his father after the first plane hit the north tower. Kyle
urged
his father to leave his office. Eagleson, a father of three and East
Coast
vice president of management for the Westfield Corp. Inc., reportedly
told
his son not to worry and that he was busy helping people get out of the
building.
When his son pushed him to get himself out, Eagleson paused for a
moment,
and then agreed he would. Obviously, it's a very difficult situation
with
so many unknowns, William Eagleson said. But there still exists a lot
of
hope." The Los Angeles-based Westfield Corp. says Eagleson is one of 11
employees
who worked in the south tower. All the others have been accounted for.
The
company has hired a private security firm to help look for Eagleson and
distribute his photo to area hospitals and media. The entire family is
very
grateful for what the management of Westfield has done and continues to
do
for us, William Eagleson said.--The Hartford Courant
Ericson-Ulf Ramm, 79, a civil engineer and
a project manager at Washington
Group International, died September 11.He died in the attack on 2 World
Trade
Center, where he worked on the 91st floor. Mr. Ericson worked as a
project
manager on the state of Connecticut project to replace the overhead
catenary
wire system on the Metro-North New Haven line. The catenary system
powers
the trains. In his career, Mr. Ericson worked on a wide range of
engineering
and construction projects worldwide, including in the Philippines, the
United
States, Canada and Indonesia. He worked for firms including Gibbs &
Hill
and Dravo, before joining Raytheon Inc. in 1980. In the late 1970s, Mr.
Ericson
was chief design engineer on an $800 million project to build a nickel
mining
and smelting plant in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. At the beginning of
his
career, he was assistant chief engineer on the construction of Taconite
Harbor,
another mining facility on Lake Superior in Minnesota. He was an avid
outdoorsman
and tourist. In the past decade he traveled to Nepal, Bhutan, the
Antarctic
and the South Seas on hiking, snorkeling and skin and scuba diving
vacations.
As a young man, Mr. Ericson and his college friends climbed the
Matterhorn,
a nearly 15,000 foot mountain in the Swiss Alps. He was a founding
member
of the Stanford Alpine Club, a long-standing club for mountain climbers
at
Stanford University. Another hobby of his was constructing model train
sets.
Born July 26, 1922, in Goteborg, Sweden, he was the son of the late
Capt.
Eric Ramm-Ericson and Tora Nordstrom Bonnier. He received his
bachelor's
degree in civil engineering from Stanford University in 1948 and a
master's
degree in structural design from the school in 1949.He is survived by
his
wife of 48 years, Helen Ericson of Greenwich; a daughter, Catherine
Ericson
of San Francisco; four brothers, Nils Ramm-Ericson of Malmo, Sweden,
and
Michael Ramm-Ericson, Simon Bonnier and Karl-Adam Bonnier, all of
Stockholm,
Sweden; and two sisters, Ulla Ramm-Ericson and Sabine Gerdes, both of
Stockholm.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ulf Ramm-Ericson Memorial
Fund,
Stanford University Office of Development, 326 Galvez St., Stanford, CA
94305-6105.--The Greenwich Times
Fergus-Edward a married father of
two, enjoyed the outdoors and spending
time working on his lawn and home, neighbor Lisa Crosby said. Fergus,
his
wife, Linda, and their two children moved from Norwalk to Wilton a year
ago.
As a family they hiked, skied and enjoyed boating.--The Hartford Courant
Fetchet-Bradley, 24, New Canaan
Each night since their son was taken from
them, Mary and Frank Fetchet place a sign outside their home. It asks
for
quiet time, for their days are busy. Family members from the Midwest
and
close friends come in waves. There are phone calls, including one from
Gov.
John G. Rowland. There are injured lists to scour. And there are the
prayers
for Bradley Fetchet. Fetchet graduated from Bucknell University in 1999
with
a degree in economics. In no time, he was working as a trader for
Keefe,
Bruyette and Woods on the 89th floor of the World Trade Center's south
tower.
At about 9 a.m. on September 11, after the first hijacked airliner had
exploded
into the north tower, Fetchet called his father, an IBM executive, and
told
him he was okay. He left reassuring voice-mail messages for his mother
and
girlfriend, Brooke Stengle. That is the last the family heard from him,
said
close family friend Tish Adair, whose sons, Bill and Mike, grew up with
Brad.
Last Sunday, his parents and two brothers, Wes, 21, a sophomore at
Bucknell,
and Chris, 13, an eighth-grader at Saxe Middle School, went to the
Armory
in Manhattan. Mary and Frank Fetchet filled out a missing-person report
and
gave DNA samples. They are a deeply spiritual couple and said they
found
the Armory experience amazing, said Adair. Therapists were there,
giving
their time. A young woman volunteer was leading them from station to
station.
She turned to Mary and said, Mrs. Fetchet, I knew Brad. Fetchet was an
accomplished athlete, starring in hockey and lacrosse at New Canaan
High
School. He played varsity lacrosse at Bucknell. Wes, a member of
Bucknell's
Patriot League champion lacrosse team this past season, has followed in
his
older brother's footsteps.
Fiorito-John, 40, Stamford
Fatherhood defined Fiorito. His greatest passion
away from work was our son, John, who is 6, said his wife, Karen
Fiorito.
Fiorito was a broker with Cantor Fitzgerald. He was at work on the
104th
floor of the trade center's north tower. We spoke at 8:30 a.m. that
morning.
It was the last I've heard from him, Karen Fiorito said. Fiorito's past
year had been an especially significant one because John appeared to be
responding successfully to a bone marrow transplant he underwent a year
ago
after being diagnosed with leukemia. It was such a good year, his
sister-in-law, Dana Piazza, said Monday. After the transplant, they all
went to Disney World, and then to the beach for two weeks. At least he
had
some good memories.--The Hartford Courant
Fisher-Bennett, senior vice
president
of Fiduciary Trust International, was last seen on the 44th floor of
the
World Trade Center, apparently helping others get out of the building.
He
was courageous, very caring, extremely responsible and really very
steady
in a crisis, his wife, Susan Fisher, said. Whatever he did, he didn't
go
down the stairs and didn't get out. She described her husband as being
extremely
funny. He had a great love of sailing and owned a 38-foot sailboat with
his
close friend, John Nelson. He was also a graceful skier. People stopped
and stared at him, she said. His sister, Susie Thorness, said he was
the
oldest of a family of seven children. We all looked up to him. He was a
well-loved older brother, she said. He was born and raised in Greenwich
and graduated from Yale University. He leaves two children. He was a
survivor
of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. -- The Hartford Courant
Fisher-Bennett Lawson , a
Greenwich native who lived in Stamford, died Tuesday, September 11. He
was 58. He died in the collapse of the World Trade Center Tuesday,
September 11, according to his family. Born Nov. 25, 1942, in
Greenwich, he was
the son of Elsie Lawson Fisher of Greenwich and the late Bennett
Fisher.
He attended Greenwich Country Day School, Julian Curtiss School and
Brunswick
School. Mr. Fisher graduated from Pomfret School in 1960 before serving
in
the U.S. Marines Corps. He graduated from Yale University in 1966. Mr.
Fisher
was senior vice president of an asset management firm located in the
World
Trade Center. He was senior vice president of Fiduciary Trust Co.
International,
where he had worked since 1967. He was a board member of Pomfret School
for
more than 20 years. He served as a director and treasurer of Indian
Harbor
Yacht Club and was a member of the Cruising Club of America and the
Storm
Trysail Club.An avid sailor who enjoyed racing and cruising, Mr. Fisher
recently
attended the America's Cup Jubilee in Cowes, England.Mr. Fisher was
active
in The Greenwich Land Trust, a nonprofit group devoted to the
preservation
of open space. Mr. Fisher's paternal grandparents lived at Sabine Farm
in
Greenwich. He helped save the field at Sabine Farm and later raised
funds
for the public acquisition of the 110-acre Treetops property along the
Stamford
border. In addition to his mother, he is survived by his wife of 32
years,
Susan Huntington Fisher of Stamford; a daughter, Louisa Huntington
Fisher
of Boston; a son, James Bruen Fisher of San Francisco; four sisters,
Elsie Lisa Morgan Fisher of West Tisbury, Mass., and Aspen, Colo.,
Alice Agnew
Fisher of Easton, Susie Thorness of Seattle and Constance Allen Fisher
of
Galisteo, N.M.; two brothers, Henry J. Fisher II of Greenwich and H.
Lawson
Fisher of Portola Valley, Calif.; and 16 nieces and nephews. --The
Greenwich
Time
Ben Fisher's family edited his obituary scrupulously in the two days
following Tuesday's terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center,
checking
to ensure the words were heartfelt and the content accurate. Different
wordsmiths have been coming around, Susan Fisher, his wife of 32 years,
said yesterday after reluctantly submitting the obituary to Greenwich
Time.
A survivor of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, Bennett
Lawson
Fisher, 58, a Stamford resident who was born and raised in Greenwich,
went
to his job Tuesday morning on the 97th floor of the south tower of the
World
Trade Center. The senior vice president of Fiduciary Trust Co.
International,
an asset management firm, has not been heard from since. His wife and I
are pretty sure he's gone, said Henry Fisher II, 48, one of the
victim's
younger brothers. We felt it in our gut. We hope we're wrong. Without
any
sign that the husband and father of two children survived the collapse
of
the twin towers, Fisher's family scheduled a memorial service for 11
a.m.
Monday at St. Barnabus Episcopal Church in Greenwich. It's possible
he'll
walk in (during) the middle, said his wife, alluding to the glimmer of
hope
that still shines within the family. Open seas and open space were
close
to Bennett's heart. He was co-owner of a 38-foot sailboat called
Counterpoint.
The vessel is docked at Indian Harbor Yacht Club, where Fisher was a
member
and once served as director and treasurer. His family reminisced
yesterday
about a Labor Day gathering at the club, where Fisher discussed efforts
to
preserve open space. "We were talking about how we were going to try to
save
some more open land at Sabine Farm (in Greenwich), Henry Fisher II
said.
Ben Fisher helped in the public acquisition of the 110-acre Treetops
property
along the Stamford border, his brother said. The family also reflected
yesterday
on a recent trip to Cowes, England, for the America's Cup Jubilee. He
said
it was the best vacation of his recent memory, his wife said. The last
account
of Fisher's whereabouts placed him on the 44th floor of the south
tower,
which collapsed at 10:29 a.m. Tuesday. What will be recorded as a
historic
day of terrorist attacks on the United States began normally at
Fisher's
home on Greenwich's Stamford border.He took his shower, I took mine,
his
wife said. Fisher's wife was careful not to call Monday's memorial
service
a funeral. She reminisced about a funeral she recently attended with
her
husband, who fell asleep. She lambasted him about it during the car
ride
home. He said, By God, you make my funeral that long and I'll have your
hide, his wife said.So Susan Fisher asked her husband what type of
funeral
he wanted. Something shorter. Something heartfelt kind of like the
obituary she carefully prepared. --Neil Vigdor -The Greenwich Time
Fry-Peter Christian There's hope
etched on Meredith Fry's fatigued face as
she awaits word on her 36-year-old husband, Peter. She's told her two
daughters,
aged 3 and 6, that their dad wants to be with them, but there's been an
accident
in New York City and he's trying to help others. Peter Fry, who worked
on
the 82nd floor of 2 World Trade Center as a vice president of
international
money markets for Euro Brokers, spoke with his brothers-in-law after
the
first plane struck the other tower. He appeared calm while asking that
his
wife be told he was OK. Peter Fry hasn't been seen or heard from since,
but
some co-workers who sat next to him made it out safely and are home
with
their loved ones. That fuels Meredith Fry's faith. We're coping with it
hour to hour. There's a lot of hope and prayers that he's laying in a
hospital
bed somewhere as a John Doe, unidentified, Meredith Fry said. Peter Fry
grew up in Bronxville, N.Y., and attended boarding school in New
Hampshire
and Curry College in Boston.--The Hartford Courant
Gadiel-James A. 23, formerly of
Kent James Gadiel began his career
in Manhattan's financial district as a trader's assistant less than a
year
ago, moving from his father's Kent home to New York's Battery Park
area.
The 23-year-old Kent native was working in the equities department at
Cantor
Fitzgerald when the first jetliner struck the north tower. His office
was
on the 103rd floor. Gadiel's goal was to become a trader someday, said
his
mother, Jan Gadiel of Kent. A fan of the Mets and the Knicks, Gadiel
loved
watching sports and enjoyed talking politics, she said. He was quiet,
but
he was the type of kid that when he said something everyone listened,
she
said. Gadiel was a graduate of Housatonic Valley Regional High School
in
Falls Village. He graduated last year from Washington and Lee
University
and continued to be active in the Sigma Nu fraternity. His parents, Jan
and
Peter, plan a private memorial.
Galvin-Thomas, 32, New York City
(formerly of Greenwich) Galvin worked at
Cantor Fitzgerald since 1994, where he was a corporate bond broker and
senior
vice president. The 1986 graduate of Greenwich High School was captain
of
the high school varsity golf team and named to All-State and All-County
Scholastic golf teams in his senior year. He was a competitive amateur
golfer
and a member of the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. He
graduated
from Georgetown University, in 1990 where he was captain of the varsity
golf
team. He volunteered for a variety of charitable causes. He is survived
by
his parents, John M. and Diverra Galvin, who live in Greenwich; two
sisters,
Lynn Galvin of Manhattan and Kathy Callahan of Greenwich, and a
brother,
John Galvin Jr., of New Canaan. A memorial Mass is scheduled for 10
a.m.
Saturday at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Greenwich.
Gardner-Christopher 36, Darien
Gardner, a senior executive at Aon Corp.,
was seen on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center trying to escape
the
aftermath of the attacks on September 11. His father-in-law, Kenneth
Hecken,
told the New York Times that the family has received one or two
unconfirmed
reports that Gardner got out of the building but returned to aid others
inside. That's the kind of guy he was, Hecken said. Gardner loved to
sail and was
passionate about his wife, Susan, and his two children, Christopher, 3,
and
Alexander, 2.
Robert Gerlich, 56, Monroe An
accountant and consultant with Reinsurance
Solutions Inc., was working for a client on the 94th floor of the World
Trade
Center's north tower. Hours after the tragedy, his wife, Rochelle, knew
in
her heart he hadn't survived. Gerlich was a meticulous, loyal man. His
wife
of 23 years knew that if he were alive, he would have found a way to
reach
her. I'm pretty sure he was hit immediately, his wife said. To my
knowledge,
nobody from that floor was ever heard from. The Gerlich
family--Rochelle
and sons Daniel, 22, and Matthew, 19, held a memorial service Saturday
near
his home in Monroe, Conn. He had a wonderful sense of humor and he had
a
wonderful outlook on life. He really saw humor in everything, his wife
said
of Gerlich, who worked in Chicago for a consulting firm about six years
ago. We weren't just husband and wife. We were best friends.--Meg
Breslin -The
Chicago Tribune
Gerlich began working two weeks
ago on the 94th floor of the World Trade
Center, north tower, as a reinsurance consultant for Guy Carpenter
&
Co., a subsidiary of Marsh USA. His daily morning routine was to walk
his
pudgy beagle, pick up a cup of coffee, a few lottery tickets and a
newspaper.
His favorite teams were the New York Mets and New York Jets. Gerlich, a
Queens
native, graduated from St John's University. He was never happier than
when
he was at a sporting event. He'd go see the Bridgeport Bluefish all the
time. He just loved going to baseball games, said his son, Dan. He
watched
a lot of news. He'd be glued to the set right now. He'd always go out
of the way to make sure we had a good time, Matt, a son, said,
recalling
his father would drive him 20 or 30 miles to attend a punk concert,
then
pick him up afterward. Gerlich's wife, Rochelle, has been surrounded by
friends
and family awaiting word.--The Hartford Courant
Gilligan-Ronald,43, East Norwalk
Originally from Liverpool, England, worked
for Cantor Fitzgerald and was believed to have been behind his desk on
the
103rd floor of the north tower when the first terrorist attack
occurred.
He has not been seen since. He is one of hundreds of British citizens
believed
to have been killed. Gilligan, who came to America with his family and
settled
in Norwalk in 1992, last talked to his wife, Liz, when he left for work
Tuesday
morning, his niece, Debi Portman, said from Liverpool. Gilligan is the
father
of three: Ashley, 16, Ainsley, 8, and Dherran, 6. He worshiped his wife
and children, Portman said. They loved going down to the beach, going
to museums or educational things. Ron was very interested in giving his
kids
a good education in life so they could be successful. Gilligan's
brother,
Les, said phone calls to New York have provided no information. We've
rung
the hospitals, and he isn't there. We have rung Cantor Fitzgerald, and,
so
far, he isn't one of the survivors, Les Gilligan told British
television
station ITN. What can you do except hope and pray that he is, dear God,
still alive. But you look at the pictures and you watch the television
and
you just think, I hope that as the plane when through the building,
Ronnie
went instantly. I hope he did not suffer. But Portman said the family
has
not given up hope. My aunt has not given up, and she has asked us to do
the same, she said.--The Hartford Courant
Glick-Steven, 42, Greenwich A
financial consultant who worked for Credit
Suisse-First Boston, was attending a conference at 1 World Trade
Center.
He was managing director of CSFBNext in New York City and previously
was
a partner in Greenwich Associates. He graduated from Northwestern
University
and earned his master of business administration degree at Harvard
University.
In his spare time he enjoyed playing tennis, running, skiing and going
to
the movies. He and his wife, Mari, have two children.-- The Hartford
Courant
Glick-Steven Lawrence , 42, a
managing director at Credit Suisse First
Boston, died Tuesday, September 11.He died in the attack on 1 World
Trade Center,
where he was attending a technology conference on the 106th floor, his
family
said. Mr. Glick had lived in town for the past 11 years and worked for
Greenwich
Associates, a local financial consulting firm, until last year. Since
then,
Mr. Glick had worked for Credit Suisse First Boston in Manhattan. Mr.
Glick
was a partner at Greenwich Associates, traveling extensively and
advising
international clients in England, Japan and Hong Kong on providing
bond,
foreign exchange and other financial services.Mr. Glick graduated from
Northwestern University in 1982 and received
his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1989.He is survived by his
wife,
Mari Glick of Greenwich; a son, Colin Glick of Greenwich; a daughter,
Courtney
Glick of Greenwich; his mother, Ester Glick of Philadelphia; two
brothers,
Gordon Glick of London and Robert Glick of New York City; and two
sisters,
Ellen Glick of Philadelphia and Stefanie Glick of Memphis, Tenn.-- The
Greenwich
Time
Glick-Steven and Robert Noonan-On a
rainy morning in Greenwich, hundreds
of mourners came to say good-bye and thank you to two men who
disappeared
in the prime of their lives. The two men, Steven Lawrence Glick, 42, a
manager
for Credit Suisse-First Boston, and Robert Walter Noonan, 36, a coal
and
emissions account manager for TradeSpark, a subsidiary of Cantor
Fitzgerald
& Co., have both been missing since the September 11 terrorist
attacks which
destroyed the World Trade Center. At Greenwich Reform Synagogue, a
crowd
of more than 400 from all over the country gathered in the sanctuary.
Friends
and family remembered Glick, a husband and father of two, as a man
devoted
to others whose priorities of family, friends and hard work seemed like
a
beacon to those who knew him. While acknowledging their profound loss,
they
talked about Glick's relentless optimism, kindness and drive as an
ongoing
example of a life well-lived. Steven has been living in heaven all
along, Rabbi Robert Lennick, the family's rabbi, said. With their two
children,
Colin, 6, and Courtney, 4, his wife Mari Glick spoke about the
fun-loving
college student she met on a blind date 20 years ago, who shared her
dreams
and hopes. The couple settled in Greenwich 11 years ago. He cared
dearly
for those he worked with, members of the community and, above all, his
family,
she said. His favorite times were with Colin and Courtney. He loved our
friends and often said he considered them our family. Today I think he
is
right. Stephen Harburg, a lifelong friend of Glick's, recalled his high
spiritedness, talking about a New Year's Eve "battle" Glick started in
Manhattan's ritzy Russian Tea Room restaurant with silly string ²
a
confetti-like aerosol spray. Steve Glick is my friend, said Harburg, a
childhood friend and classmate at Germantown Academy. I use the word
Ois'
as a reminder that those qualities that endeared us to Steve cannot be
crushed
by concrete and steel. They endure because we will remember. A passage
written
by Gordon Glick was read, focusing on his brother's good-natured humor.
Glick's
son Colin stayed at the podium, shuffling papers. The word I will
always
use to describe Steven is fun, read Jeff Abram, a cousin. No matter
what
trouble he faced, he always tried to enjoy life and would come out of
it
with a smile. Accompanied by an organist, Cantor Vicki Axe sang Listen,
a song encouraging people to seek the voice of God when they are
heartbroken
or facing trouble. If you're lost and feel afraid, and don't know what
to
say, listen, listen, to our God, she sang. If there is a question in
your
mind, and the answer is hard to find, listen, listen, to our God. The
ceremony
ended with a mourning prayer, Eil Maleh, followed by the singing of
America
the Beautiful. Noonan, a husband of five years and father of a
3-year-old
son, was remembered yesterday as an avid fisherman during a stirring
memorial
service at St. Mary Church in the town where he long resided before
recently
moving to Norwalk. Even the most skilled angler lacks the
lightning-fast
reflexes needed to hook the free spirit that family and friends say
defined
Noonan. Robby was a free spirit. You could not capture him ... contain
him,
said Ashley Noonan, his younger brother, who lives in Greenwich.
Hundreds
of mourners packed the chapel yesterday, standing two or three deep in
its
narrow aisles. Pinned to the lapels of several mourners were red, white
and
blue feathers tied to hooks, a symbol of Noonan's love of country and
of
fly-fishing. They came to pay their last respects to yet another
grief-stricken
family of a Cantor Fitzgerald employee missing as a result of last
week's
terrorist attacks. The bond brokerage lost more than half of its
Manhattan
workforce in the disaster. There is no doubt that we have all been in
shock
since a week ago Tuesday, said Monsignor Frank Wissel of St. Mary
Church. It is our presence, perhaps our silent presence, that gives
each other
strength. Harboring feelings of anger and betrayal toward God is a
normal
response to the sudden loss of a loved one, Wissel explained, adding,
"How
many times have we said that this week? O Lord, where were you? The
priest urged the mourners to recommit themselves to their religious
faith
by showing love for Noonan. Would your love for Robby ever die? Wissel
said. Never. Because love never dies. He gives us the gift of
remembering
how important life is. The mourners focused on the love Noonan shared
with
his wife, Dana, and young son, Chance. The Vermont clergyman who
married
the couple read from the same Winnie the Pooh passage used during their
joyous
wedding ceremony five years ago. The couple's love is everlasting,
declared
the Rev. John Mitchell of Zion Episcopal Church in Manchester, Vt. You
will
see Robby again and he will hold your hand, he told Dana Noonan. You
can
be sure of that. Noonan's siblings later recounted their affection for
the
gentle father and energetic sportsman. They described their brother as
an
extrovert, as someone who loved being around children. It's a known
fact
that Robby is a 36-year-old adult going on 5, his brother Ashley said.
Rob
was my hero. I want you all to know that I'm proud to carry his
likeness. Noonan
helped shape the personalities and identities of his siblings. You and
I
used to laugh and joke that if you and I were one person, we'd be
perfect,
said Kelly Noonan, his older brother. In the end, you were my balance
in
life. Your passion was life itself. Your walk through life has been an
inspiration to me and others who knew you. The 90-minute service
concluded
the same way it began, with the wailing of a bagpipe. The parade of
mourners
filed out of the church, heading to a reception at the Belle Haven Club
afterward.It rained shortly thereafter. According to the folklore of
fishermen
such as Robby Noonan, those are good conditions for catching a trout.
The
fish are always biting where you are, Kelly Noonan said.
Kopu-Kiran Kumar 25, Bridgeport
Gopu, a student at the University of
Bridgeport, was working toward his master's degree in computer science
and
was working on the 96th floor of the north tower as a computer
programmer
with Marsh USA. Originally from the south of India, Gopu had met
several
other friends from his homeland in his graduate program, and they
decided
to rent an apartment near campus, said his friend Bharath Durga. Gopu
planned
to return to India once he graduated. At about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Gopu
talked
on the phone with one of his friends, saying he was on his way into the
office
and would call once he left his job. His friends have been searching
for
him since.
Graff-Edwin III, 48, Norwalk Graff
was seated in his Cantor Fitzgerald office
on the 103rd floor of the north tower talking on the phone to his
brother
when the first jet slammed into the tower. In a second call to his
brother,
he reported there was fire everywhere and people were throwing chairs
through
windows in a desperate attempt to get out. A divorced father of three,
Graff
has not been heard from since. Only 303 of the company's 1,000
employees
who worked on floors 101, 103, 104 and 105 have been accounted for.
Right
where he was all you could see was thick, billowing black smoke.
Everyone
up there died. There's just no way, Graff's bother, Michael, of Armonk,
N.Y., said. Clinging to a shred of hope, Michael Graff filed a missing
person's
report on his brother Friday.
Grehan-Pedro , 35, formerly of
Greenwich Grehan, who worked on the 104th
floor of the World Trade Center, moved to Jersey City in November 2000.
Previously, he lived in the Cos Cob and Old Greenwich sections of
Greenwich.
Greene-Donald F., 52, Greenwich
had boarded a Boeing 757 in Newark, N.J.,
anxious to meet three of his brothers in Lake Tahoe for a biking trip.
But
the pilot and business manager for Safe Flight Instrument Corp. in
White
Plains, N.Y., never made it.United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked and
crashed
in southwest Pennsylvania, killing all those on board. Greene, who grew
up
in New York and lived in Greenwich for 14 years, had two children, ages
10
and 6. He wasn't able to say goodbye to his wife, Claudette, or his two
children,
his sister Amy Gerbe, of Sudbury, Mass., said Wednesday. But the family
suspects
that Greene was the passenger who reportedly tried to call an emergency
operator
from a locked bathroom aboard the flight, which authorities say a group
of
passengers attempted to take back from the hijackers. He was a pilot.
He
would have done what he could, she said. We are only fortunate because
we know where he is. Our hearts go out to the other families, Gerbe
said.
--The Hartford Courant
Among those on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania
after passengers discussed attacking their hijackers, Greene-Donald,
52,
was himself a licensed pilot, his sister-in-law said. He also was CEO
and
first vice president of an aviation company called Safe-Flight in White
Plains,
N.Y. If anyone needed help, Don jumped right in, sister-in-law Cecilia
Rhoda said. He was the same at home. He coached soccer teams for both
of
his children. His youngest is 6. -- Eric Ferkenhoff -The Chicago Tribune
Greene-Donald F. 52, of
Greenwich, an aviation executive, died Tuesday, September 11. Mr.
Greene was a casualty of the terrorist attack aboard United
Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, his family said.Born in New York
City
on May 21, 1949, he was the son of the late Charles Freeman and the
late
Phyllis Freeman Greene. His mother married Leonard M. Greene after the
death
of Charles Freeman, and Donald Greene and his three brothers were
adopted
into a family that came to include eight children. After the death of
Phyllis
Greene, Leonard Greene married Joyce Meller, whose four children
brought
the family to 12. Donald Greene graduated from Suffield Academy and
Brown
University, and received an MBA from Pace University.He promoted
airline
safety as an executive of the Safe Flight Instrument Corp. of White
Plains,
N.Y. He was active as a soccer coach and contributor to the community.
"An
ideal father, husband, brother, son, Don Greene lived his life with
love,
integrity, intelligence, fun and compassion. He leaves many whom he
loved
and who loved him, his family said. In addition to Leonard Greene and
Joyce
Greene, of Westchester County, N.Y., he is survived by his wife,
Claudette
Beaulieu Greene; a son, Charles Freeman Greene; and a daughter, Jody
Cecilia
Greene, all of Greenwich; seven brothers, Douglas Freeman Greene, of
Cortez,
Colo., Charles Freeman Greene, of Novato, Calif., Stephen Freeman
Greene
of Chester, Vt., Randall Ashley Greene of Boulder, Colo., Jeffrey B.
Meller
of Watertown, Mass., William Meller of Santa Barbara, Calif., Gary
Meller
of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and four sisters, Terry Anne Greene of
Cambridge,
Mass., Bonnie Greene LeVar, of Briarcliff, N.Y., Laurie Greene Baldwin,
of
Kalispell, Mont., and Amy Gerbe of Sudbury, Mass. --The Greenwich Time
Greene-Donald was a devoted
husband, loving father and possibly a hero
who saved lives during Tuesday's nightmare of terrorism. The
52-year-old
Greenwich man's name was the first to be confirmed on the list of local
dead
that yesterday had unofficially reached 13. Joseph Lenihan, a
41-year-old
Cos Cob man, also was confirmed dead last night. The casualty list is
expected
to grow, however, as the Greenwich chapter of the American Red Cross
reported
fielding 30 inquiries from people who cannot account for family members
who
worked either in or near the World Trade Center. Greene's friends and
family
members said they believed the licensed pilot and aviation industry
executive
was among a group of passengers who may have attempted to regain
control
of United Airlines Flight 93, diverting it from its possible target and
causing
it to crash in a deserted Pennsylvania field. There is no question in
our
minds that Don was a hero in this, said Greene's sister-in-law, Cecilia
Rhoda. He was the type of person who would have taken charge in this
kind
of situation, and we're certain he's one of those persons responsible
for
diverting the flight and saving many lives. Greene, who lived on Shore
Road
in Belle Haven with his wife and two young children, was heading to San
Francisco
to meet three of his brothers for a hiking excursion. Some government
officials
have said the target of the hijacked Boeing 757, which took off from
Newark
International Airport in New Jersey, may have been Camp David, the
presidential
retreat in Maryland. The plane was one of four commandeered as part of
closely
timed attacks on carefully selected targets. Two hit the World Trade
Center
in Manhattan, and another plowed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
In
a cellular telephone call, Flight 93 passenger Thomas Burnett
reportedly
told his wife, I know we're all going to die there's three of us
who are going to do something about it. It wasn't clear yesterday what
caused
the plane to go down when it did or whether the passengers had any
effect. Greene
was vice president and CEO of Safe Flight Instrument Corp. in White
Plains,
N.Y., a manufacturer of aircraft safety equipment, including systems to
warn
of stalled engines and wind sheer. Samuel Cambriello, a Safe Flight
employee
for 42 years and close friend of Greene's, agreed with Rhoda that
Greene
probably was one of the passengers Burnett referred to. All of us at
the
shop are convinced Donald was one of those three who intended to regain
control of the airliner, Cambriello said. He was of the highest
integrity,
someone who was always looking out for the other person. Cambriello
said
that if needed, Greene could have flown the Boeing 757. Flight 93 left
Newark
at 8:01 a.m., and as it approached Cleveland, radar showed the plane
banked
left and headed back toward southwest Pennsylvania. Cleveland Mayor
Michael
White has said air traffic controllers reported hearing screaming on a
plane
they communicated with. Tuesday night, FBI agents and forensic
archeologists
began picking through tiny pieces of rubble. Neither the cockpit voice
recorder
nor the flight data recorder had been recovered yesterday evening, and
it
was expected to be days before all victims could be identified. While
it
may never be possible to accurately reconstruct what occurred aboard
the
doomed airliner, one thing is clear: Greene was already a hero to his
wife
Claudette, and his children, Charles, 10, and Jody, 6. He was an
extraordinary
family man, and his children meant the world to him, Rhoda said. Every
single school vacation was a special holiday, whether it was taking the
children
to Disneyland, vacationing in Vermont, or skiing in Colorado. Charles
had
frequently accompanied his father in the cockpit of his private
airplane,
his aunt said. Charlie already has an incredible knowledge of
airplanes,
Rhoda said. He knows how to do the (preflight) checklist. Greene's
family,
like the rest of the country, has been left with one big question. Why
do
they always take the best ones? Rhoda asked. Donald was definitely the
best. --J.A. Johnson Jr. -The Greenwich Time
Police motorcades are
traditionally reserved for dignitaries, but to
Don Greene's two children, they now represent solemn, funeral-like
processions
from synagogue to home. Along with their grief-consumed mother,
Claudette
Greene, Charles, 10, and Jody Greene, 6, brother and sister, were
whisked
away from Temple Sholom yesterday morning, following a 90-minute
memorial
service for their father, Donald Freeman Greene. The 52-year-old
Greenwich
man was aboard United Airlines Flight 93, the hijacked, San
Francisco-bound
Boeing 757 that nose-dived Tuesday morning into a deserted field in
southwestern
Pennsylvania. Greene, the first victim of Tuesday's terrorist attacks
to be
memorialized at a local ceremony, was eulogized as a prince of a human
being
by family and friends. Many speculated that Greene had joined other
passengers
and thwarted the hijackers' plans to crash the jetliner into a crowded
national
landmark. I want you to know that he was an exceptional person by every
measure, said Leonard Greene, the victim's adoptive father, who lives
in
Scarsdale, N.Y. Donald Greene's biological father, Charles Freeman,
died
when
Donald was just 5 years old, creating a void similar to the one the
Greene
family faces now. Leonard Greene partly filled that first void,
watching
his adopted son grow up to become a proud father and successful
businessman.
Greene was vice president and CEO of Safe Flight Instrument Corp. in
White
Plains, N.Y., a manufacturer of aircraft safety equipment, including
systems
to warn of stalled engines and wind shear. In less than two hours,
everything
ended for Greene and the 44 other people aboard Flight 93. Since then,
Greene's
loved ones have struggled to begin healing.
I was supposed to die before Don, Leonard Greene said. In the packed
synagogue, an estimated 1,000 mourners shuddered as the father lamented
his
son's death. He became a bright, shining star in my life, Leonard
Greene
said. I am going to miss him terribly. Chilly rain did little to deter
the mourners from paying their last respects to Greene, who was heading
to
San Francisco to meet three of his brothers for a hiking excursion near
Lake
Tahoe. The mourners parked their cars on lawns, in the parking lot of a
nearby
church -- anywhere close. I know that at this very moment Don is
thanking
you for gathering around his family, his widow, Claudette, said in a
statement
that was read by the Rabbi Mitchell Hurvitz of Temple Sholom. I know
that
friends are treasures -- the real value in a life. The rabbi opened the
memorial service with a reading of Psalm 23, followed by passages from
the
book of Jeremiah. He later read from a Talmudic passage called the
Wisdom
of Ben Sira, saying, The good things in life last for limited days, but
a good name lasts forever. The sanctuary was so crowded that it had to
be
expanded to accommodate all the mourners. Temporary walls were removed
to
make room for hundreds of extra seats. Expressions of anger rarely
surfaced
during the memorial service, as family members and friends focused on
Greene's
passion for life. One, remembering Greene's love of family, noted that
the
father of two had recently celebrated his son's 10th birthday at Club
Greene,
the family's retreat on Candlewood Lake near Danbury. Of all Don's
strengths,
parenting was his forte, said Peter Fleiss, a colleague and friend of
more
than 25 years. He absolutely adored his children. After air service was
banned following the attacks, Greene's brothers on the West Coast
worried
that they might not reach Greenwich in time for the memorial service.
They
made the cross country trip in the nick of time, however. Even if we
hadn't
made it, we would have been with you in spirit, said Steve Greene, 49,
the
victim's youngest brother. Again and again, mourners remembered the
simple
and unbreakable bonds they shared with Greene -- eating lunch together,
competing
on the ski slopes, attending sporting events in New York City. He was
giving,
said Leonard Greene, the victim's father. I could rely on him. The
mourners
found some solace in the speculation that Greene, an experienced pilot,
had
possibly saved thousands of other lives by diverting the jetliner to a
deserted
field instead of a crowded landmark. We'll probably never know all
those
facts, said Tom Casten, a family friend from Hinsdale, Ill., who once
lived
in Hartsdale, N.Y. Regardless, he's a hero to us. The service concluded
with Oseh Shalom, a Hebrew hymn which calls
for peace. Greene's large family filtered out of the sanctuary as
hundreds
of other mourners stood silently. The family was escorted back to its
Belle
Haven home by a throng of police officers. They need to be
commended
for that, said Greene's sister-in-law, Cecilia Rhoda.
Grogan-Father Francis Frank, 76,
former chaplain at Holy Cross High School in Waterbury Gov.
John G. Rowland told thousands gathered in prayer Friday at St.
Joseph's
Cathedral how one special man, who was killed on United Airlines Flight
175,
shaped his childhood. Father Frank Grogan was my friend, my mentor, my
religious
teacher at Holy Cross High School Rowland said. Father Frank taught me
about grace and service to others. Grogan, a native of Pittsfield,
Mass.,
was headed to California to meet his sister for a vacation. He had been
a
standby passenger on a Delta flight, said his friend and co-worker
Father
Tom Tobin. But a friend, who worked at United Airlines, gave Grogan a
first-class
ticket on Flight 175. We weren't worried at first because we thought he
went on Delta. We didn't know about the last-minute change, it was a
shock.
He was just a beautiful human being. He was a wonderful person, who
enhanced
the priesthood. He made the priesthood better,'' said Tobin, who worked
with
Grogan at his last assignment as the superior at the Holy Cross
residence
for retired priests in North Darmouth, Mass.
Greenleaf- James Jr., 32,
Waterford Greenleaf was working on the 92nd floor
of the World Trade Center's north tower for Carr Futures, a monetary
exchange
company. His family is desperately hoping that he survived. Thursday,
he
was still among the missing.
Halvorson-James D. , 56, Greenwich
As the insurance broker on many large
overseas construction projects, Halvorson traveled extensively. He'd
spend
days on end in rural settings in Russia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Pakistan
and other areas, mingling with the villagers. He was always fine with
it,
said his son, Douglas, 29. He didn't have to have his guard up. Doug
Halvorson
said his father had remarked on occasion how secure he felt working in
J.H.
Marsh & McLennan's offices on the 90th to 100th floors of the World
Trade
Center's south tower. It used to take me 20 minutes to get up to see
him,
because of the security, said Douglas Halvorson, who works at Marsh's
midtown
Manhattan office. Visitors to the trade center must produce photo
identification
upon entering. Halvorson's office on the 99th floor was pretty much
right
at the point of impact of the first plane, his son said. No one heard
anything from them after the crash. We are hoping it was painless, he
said. Halvorson worked for Marsh for 30 years He was a skier and an
accomplished
runner, having completed the New York City Marathon in 1991. He and his
wife,
Maureen, were married for 31 years.
Heller-Joseph H. 37, Ridgefield
Heller worked for Carr Futures in the World
Trade Center and is listed on the company's website as one of 67
missing
employees. He worked on the 92nd floor. In July, Heller was a company
delegate
to the Managed Funds Association Forum in New York. The forum,
according
to its website, was designed to attract the industry's most prominent
professionals. Heller and his wife, Mary, are members of St. Mary's
Church
in Ridgefield. He was a wonderful man, Peter Yanity, a selectman and
dentist
who had Heller as a patient, told the Danbury News-Times It's
heartbreaking.
Higley-Robert, 29, New Fairfield.
He would have been proud of her mettle.Vycki
Higley, eight months pregnant with their second child, sat on a folding
chair
in the Armory in Manhattan. There were about 20 rows of these chairs,
all
filled. This was Thursday, two days after the attack.The hijacked
airliner
that had struck the south tower of the World Trade Center had hit
roughly
between the 86th and 94th floors and exploded into a fireball. Robert
Higley
worked on the 92nd floor. He'd started the job at Aon Risk
ManagementServices
three months earlier.Vycki Higley shifted uneasily in her seat at the
Armory.Family members were sitting and waiting to be escorted
downstairs,
in groups of 10, to listen to volunteers reading off the names of the
injured
at New York City and New Jersey hospitals. We had numbers. They started
at 0001. I had 1,500 and something. She had just finished filling out a
12-page form - the official missing-person report.The form did not ask
for
a description of her husband's love for their 4-year-old daughter,
Amanda,
or their new house, or his passion for the New York Yankees, or how
proud
the family was of his recent promotion. You had to list anything that
could
be used as identification, any broken noses, body piercings, tattoos,
scars
that he may have had, Vycki Higley said. After two hours, she couldn't
sit
any longer. I used my pregnancy. I found a bathroom. I found a social
worker
in the bathroom. She took me to a police detective. He let me go see
the
lists, said the 30-year-old bank teller. There was no word of Robert
Higley.
She trooped back to New Fairfield with a single hope - that her
husband's
death was painless.
Hobin-James , 47, Marlborough The
last time Sheila Hobin spoke with her husband
Jim was around 8 a.m. Tuesday. While Jim didn't say specifically that
he
was in the World Trade Center, Sheila knew from her caller ID that he
had
made it to his office on the 99th floor of Tower One. Since then,
Sheila,
his wife of 25 years, and their children, Sean, 21, and Derrick, 17,
have
been hoping for the best. Hobin, a vice president at Marsh &
McClennan,
spent most of his time in his office atKing-Amy , 29, and her
boyfriend,
Michael Tarrou, 38, were working together aboard United Flight 175 on
September
11. The two lounged together, planned a life together and even sang
together--most recently with King contributing a backup I love you on a
recording of Couch Potato, a song written and performed by Tarrou. They
were soulmates, said Tarrou's mother, Patricia, who took comfort from
the
fact that they could support each other one last time in the moments
before
the hijacked United flight struck the second tower of the World Trade
Center. I know they were doing everything they could to help the
passengers, she
said. Though I hope they were in each others' arms. King and Tarrou had
been together since meeting at work in the Boston area a few years
before.
They moved in together five months ago and lived in Stafford Springs,
Conn.
On the horizon was another move, to Florida, so Tarrou could be closer
to
his 11-year-old daughter, Gina. Working as a flight attendant, despite
the
odd schedules, permitted long weekends devoted to his 6th-grade
daughter,
who talks now about her father's humor, the dances he would do just for
her
and about his being in a better place. King and Tarrou both grew up in
New
York, had a love for flying, an interest in the arts and a deep loyalty
to
family and friends. King grew up in Wantagh and lived with her sister,
Debbie
Lloyd, while based out of Chicago during the 1990s. King was the
youngest
of three sisters, said Lloyd, but was the one with the most infectious
personality. While based in Boston, she still visited Lloyd's children
at
least once a month, imbuing them with her playful sense of humor and
easy
laugh. She liked to imitate voices, children's voices. She was like a
kid
herself, Lloyd said, adding that it was clear Tarrou was the one for
her
younger sister. They wanted to have children, she said, and King hoped
they
would all see the world together one day. Tarrou grew up in Long
Island,
one of four children. He had tried a few other careers, from composing
music
(he didn't like to perform) to repairing air conditioners. He went into
the
airline industry after getting tired of crawling in hot attics, his
mother
said. Flying represented the freedom of being up in the sky, said his
father,
James. --Shia Kapos -The Chicago Tribune
LaMantia-Stephen, 38, Darien
LaMantia worked on the 105th floor of the north
tower, in charge of the asset-backed securities desk for Cantor
Fitzgerald.
He was on the phone with a client at about 9 a.m. Tuesday. He told his
friend
that he would try to leave the building, said his father-in-law, Tom
Stewart.
In describing LaMantia, Stewart said he wants to speak in the present
tense.
His son-in-law, he said, is a very wonderful and loving husband, caring
and devoted father and a very, very humorous and outgoing man. He grew
up in East Meadow, Long Island, and has lived in Darien for 10 years. A
member
of Noroton Presbyterian Church, LaMantia is married to Kimberly and is
the
father of Emily, 9, and Craig, 6. Stewart said the family appreciates
the
rescue attempts in New York City and urges national leaders to exercise
restraint
as they consider responses to the attack. Our faith leads in a
different
direction, as painful as this is at this time, Stewart said.
Leniha-Joseph A. 41, Cos Cob A Cos
Cob resident, died September 11, in the attacks
on the World Trade Center, where he worked as an executive vice
president
and a member of the board of directors for Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.
Mr.
Lenihan was a member of the Veteran's Appreciation Council. He was
recently
chosen by the Irish American Magazine as one of its recipients of its
2001
Wall Street 50 Award. He was a parishioner of St. Catherine of Siena
Church
in Riverside. Born June 9, 1960, in West Hartford, he was the son of
Ann
K. Lenihan of West Hartford and the late Joseph F. Lenihan. He received
his
bachelor's degree and master's degree in business administration from
the
University of Connecticut. He is survived by his wife, Ingrid Lenihan
of
Cos Cob; three children, Megan Lenihan, Gabriele Lenihan and Joseph
Lenihan,
all of Cos Cob; three sisters, Mary Lenihan of Boston, Sue Faulkner of
Granby,
and Betsy Smith of West Hartford; two brothers, David Lenihan of
Marlborough
and John Lenihan of Avon; and many nieces and nephews.
Lewis-Adam J. , 36, Greenwich A
former Greenwich resident, died September 11.
He was last seen in his office on the 89th floor of the World Trade
Center.
He was a trader at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. Born Dec. 19, 1964, in
New
York City, he was the son of Geraldyne Lewis of Madrid, Spain, and the
late
Arthur Lewis. He graduated from the Dalton School in New York City in
1983
and Hamilton College in 1987. In addition to his mother, he is survived
by
his wife, Patricia Dunne Lewis of Fairfield; four children, Reilly
Lewis,
Sam Lewis, Caroline Lewis, and Sophie Lewis, all of Fairfield; and two
sisters,
Kathryn Hebert of Bethel and Pamela Passaretta of Washington, D.C.A
memorial
service will be held at 3 p.m. Friday at the Westport Country Playhouse
on
Post Road East in Westport, between Exits 17 and 18 off Interstate 95.
--The
Greenwich Time
Lozier-Garry , 47, Darien Lozier
worked on the 104th floor of 2 World Trade
Center, the south tower, at Sandler O'Neill & Partners, an
investment
banking firm. He had been with the company for about 10 years. His wife
described
him as a great guy and great father to their three children - two girls
and
a boy .
Maloney-Edward Francis Teddy , 32,
Darien Maloney, a bond trader, started
working at the financial securities and brokerage firm Cantor
Fitzgerald
on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center about three weeks ago. He
grew
up in Rye, N.Y., and Greenwich, Conn., and went to New England College
and
Proctor Academy in New Hampshire. His aunt Nancy Shepard said the
family
hasn't given up hope that Teddy will come home. There are all these hot
shots and jerks on Wall Street. But he was the sweetest guy you'll ever
meet,
she said. His daughter, Mason, 1, hurts the most. They were so
attached.
She doesn't understand what's going on, but she took a nap in her
father's
old room, and gravitated to it. She kissed his picture and didn't want
to
let it go, Shepard said. Maloney and his wife, Brinley, are expecting
another
child
McCarthy-Kevin, 42, Fairfield A
bond trader, McCarthy worked on the
104th floor of the World Trade Center for Cantor Fitzgerald; 70 percent
of
the company's 1,000-member staff is reported missing. The father of an
11-year-old girl and 5-year-old twins, McCarthy called his wife,
Deborah,
about 8:50 a.m. and told her that there had been an accident, his
sister,
Kathy Sullivan, said. He was running when he called, she said, though
she's
not sure if he was running up to the roof, as others had been told to
do.
McCarthy's younger brother, Charlie, was working in the World Trade
Center
in 1993 when the first terrorist attack occurred, Sullivan said. He
survived.
The third of six children, Kevin McCarthy grew up in Reading, Mass.,
and
attended Newman Prep. Sullivan said her brother was a wonderful family
man
with a great sense of humor. He had a great smile, she added later,
choking
up. He was the most handsome man on Earth.
McCourt-Juliana Valentine 4, New
London Ruth McCourt, 45, and her 4-year-old
daughter, Juliana, were on the ill-fated United Airlines Flight 175
when
it slammed into the World Trade Center Tuesday morning. McCourt's
brother,
Ronnie Clifford, was in one of the towers but managed to escape before
it
crumbled to the ground, another brother said. Tragically, my sister hit
the tower building as my brother was on the ground floor, John
Clifford,
of Cork, Ireland, told Irish television yesterday. He phoned to say he
made
it, he was okay, traumatized that he was within an inch of his life.
Ronnie
later had a feeling their sister might have been on one of the doomed
planes,
John Clifford said. The McCourts left Boston Tuesday morning for a trip
to
Los Angeles. Their flight crashed into the building 18 minutes after
American
Airlines flight 11 crashed into the north tower.-- Newsday
McCourt-Ruth and her daughter,
Juliana, were aboard United Airlines
Flight 175 en route from Boston to Los Angeles which collided with the
World
Trade Center where her brother, Ronald Clifford, of New Jersey, works.
Clifford
survived and tried to track down news of his sister by calling her best
friend's
husband in Newton, Mass. The friend, Paige Farley Hackel, was also
traveling
to Los Angeles, but had been on another plane - the American Airlines
jet
that slammed into the center's other tower. Friends and family gathered
at
McCourt's house and tried to absorb the loss of the woman described as
a gorgeous Irish lass, her daughter, described by a family friend as an
angel without wings, and Hackel, a lifelong friend who was a fixture in
the life of McCourt and her extended family. McCourt's younger brother
Spencer
Scott, of Boston, said his niece was a feminine little girl who cared
so
much about other people that she would question strangers who seemed
sad
about what was bothering them. She loved to visit the Disney website to
play
games, took riding lessons and had her favorite dresses. McCourt, wife
of
David McCourt, owner of Abco Wire & Metal Products, formerly owned
the
Clifford Classique Day Spa in Newton, Mass. She loved gardening, said
friend
Patty Freedman, and was very spiritual.--The Hartford Courant
September 13, 2001 Ron Clifford
was working at the World Trade Center towers
when a plane carrying his sister, Ruth Clifford McCourt, and 4-year-old
niece,
Juliana, slammed into one of the towers. Tragically, my sister hit the
tower
building as my brother was on the ground floor. He's safe now. He's
very
traumatized, John Clifford told the Manchester Guardian. Adding to this
bizarre coincidence, one of McCourt's friends, Paige Farley-Hackel of
Boston,
was on the American Airlines flight that slammed into the other tower.
They
had planned to meet in Los Angeles. McCourt was coming out to see old
friends. Our daughters were going to play together, said Mimi Torp,
McCourt's best
friend in high school. We of course wanted our daughters to be friends,
as we were. McCourt, who was born in Ireland, lived in Pacific
Palisades
with her family and attended Marymount High School while her stepfather
worked
as a professor at UCLA. Under her maiden name, Ruth created Clifford
Classique,
a full service salon and beauty product line based in Boston. She
married
David McCourt and the family lived in New London, Conn. Ruth McCourt is
survived
by her husband, David, and her mother, Paula Scott, and brothers Ron
and
John.--The Los Angeles Times
September 13, 2001 Two
women--best friends--boarded two separate planes
in Boston and said they would meet in Los Angeles for a weekend of spa
luxury
and rides with one woman's 4-year-old daughter at Disneyland. Both
planes
were crashed. It's bad enough to lose someone you love, said Patricia
Church
of Winthrop, Mass., who was friends with Paige Farley Hackel, 46, and
Ruth
McCourt, 45, both of whom died Tuesday morning. Hackel had been on
American
Airlines Flight 11, which crashed into one of the World Trade Center
twin
towers. McCourt, along with her young daughter, Juliana, had been on
United
Airlines Flight 175, which crashed into the second tower. Ruth
McCourt's
brother happened to be staying at the World Trade Center Marriott when
his
sister's plane plowed into the towers. He escaped safely, according to
a
second family friend.-- Sean Hamill -The Chicago Tribune
McEneaney-Eamon, 46, New Canaan
McEneaney, of Elmont, N.Y., lived
in New Canaan for the past six years and was a senior vice president at
Cantor
Fitzgerald. He took the train to work on Tuesday, and his wife, Bonnie,
and
four children haven't heard from him since. He graduated from Cornell
University
and was a lacrosse player.
McGinty-Michael G., 42, of
Foxboro, Mass., formerly
of Plainville. McGinty
was a senior vice president at the Power Group at Marsh Inc. in Boston.
But two days a week he worked out of the company's offices in the World
Trade
Center. He would fly to New York City on Monday and return home Tuesday
night,
said his wife, Cynthia McGinty, who last spoke with her husband at
dinnertime
Monday, September 10. Married for 10 years, the couple once lived in
Plainville,
Conn. Michael McGinty graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1981 and
served
as a nuclear engineer in the U.S. Navy until 1989 when he was honorably
discharged. He had earned the rank of lieutenant commander. Cynthia
McGinty
described her husband as a man with a quick sense of humor who was also
an
active member of the Bethany Congregational Church in Foxboro. They
have
two sons, Daniel, 8, and David, 7. His kids were the most important
thing
in the world to him. He was such a good dad, said his wife. He was
probably
the most honest person you'd ever meet.
Meehan-William J., 49, Darien
Meehan is the most visible financial analyst
at one of the country's biggest bond firms. But neighbors on close-knit
Oak
Park Avenue know him best as a caring husband and father of three, and
a
fixture at block parties on the cul-de-sac. On Thursday, his wife,
Maureen
Meehan, and other family members and close friends waited at home for
some
word about him. We're trying to figure out what to do to help, said
neighbor
Candace Hanau. It is very, very difficult. The people who can offer
support
to the family are there now. Meehan is the oft-quoted chief market
strategist
at Cantor Fitzgerald, perhaps the hardest hit of the dozens of firms
that
were located at the World Trade Center. Meehan had worked at the firm's
Darien
office for about four years, before shifting to the World Trade Center
in
late August. Of the 1,000 Cantor employees who worked on the 101st,
103rd,
104th, and 105th floors of the north tower - the first to be hit in
Tuesday's
terrorist attack - only about 270 have been accounted for. Shortly
after
the first hijacked plane slammed into the north tower, staffers in
Meehan's
office described the horror over the telephone to Cantor colleagues in
Los
Angeles. Somebody's got to help us. ... We can't get out. ... The place
is filling with smoke, one person in the New York office said. Then the
connection was lost.
Metz-Raymond 37, of Trumbull Metz
called his wife, Patrice, from his office
at Euro Brokers on the 84th floor of the south tower of the World Trade
Center
to reassure her. He called me at ten of nine after the first plane hit
Tower
1 to tell me he was OK and getting out, Patrice Metz said. She hasn't
heard
from him since. She, along with so many other relatives of the missing,
have
spent the past few days frantically searching for her husband at
hospitals
and armories in New York City. She and her husband had driven in to
work
together that morning around 5 a.m., and parted when she headed to her
job
as a legal assistant at a lower Manhattan law firm. She described her
husband,
a Boston University graduate, as a great guy and father of two
daughters,
aged 3 and 7. He's athletic. He would be extremely focused on getting
out
of there. If he had a way, he would do it. ... He wanted to see his
kids,
she said
Miller-Michael M., 39, formerly of
Milford We don't know how we're
going to get out, Miller told his fiancee, Patricia Skic, after
American
Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade
Center
Tuesday. I love you and tell Mom and Dad that I love them. Miller, a
trader with Cantor Fitzgerald, and Skic got engaged last Christmas and
were
planning their wedding. Now Skic is busy tracking down Miller's dental
records
and scouring hairbrushes for stray hairs, in case a DNA sample is
needed
to identify his body. Although the couple lived in New Jersey, Miller
grew
up in Milford, where he played football and ran track at Foran High
School. He was a big jock, said his father, James Miller. Since
Tuesday, people
in Milford have been calling the family to offer their prayers. We're
not
alone, said Miller's mother, Betty Ann. There are thousands just like
us. Of course, that doesn't help any.
Monyak-Cheryl Ann, 43, Greenwich
Monyak's ambition and intelligence
carried her to each goal she set, her friends say. A native of New
Hartford,
Monyak had returned to the East Coast a few years ago for an
executive-level
job with Marsh & McLennan, an insurance brokerage firm, after
spending
a number of years in California as an insurance specialist for
Universal
Studios. Her window office on the 96th floor of the World Trade
Center's
north tower offered a commanding view of New York City. We're not
giving
up hope. Miracles happen every day, said childhood friend Debbie
Brydon,
who is heading to New York City today with fellow friends Cindy
Lamoureaux
and Valarie Rourke to search for news about Monyak and spread her
picture
among emergency workers. All we're really looking for is someone who
can
tell us something, anything, Brydon said. She wouldn't sit still. She'd
do the same for us. Monyak graduated as valedictorian of the 1975 class
of Northwest Regional School District No. 7, and has always been highly
intelligent and career-driven, her friends say. Her parents, Joseph and
Doris
Monyak, still live in New Hartford and, like thousands of other
parents,
are awaiting any news.
Morehouse-Lindsay, 24, Branford
and New York City Morehouse was on a roll.
Freshly graduated from Williams College, where she was co-captain of
the
tennis team, she had landed a job as an equities research assistant at
an
investment firm in the World Trade Center. And on September 6, she'd
been accepted
into the Big Brother/Big Sister program as a volunteer mentor. On the
application
form, she was asked how many hours a week she worked, and if she'd
really
be able to spend quality time with a disadvantaged child. I work 55 to
60
hours a week, but I will make the time, she wrote. That's the kind of
kid Lindsay was, said her stepfather, Dale Maycen of Branford. She had
a big heart. Morehouse worked at Keese, Bruyette & Woods on the
89th
floor of the north tower. Moments after the second hijacked airliner
smashed
into the south tower, Morehouse called her parents. Lindsay was
hysterically
crying. It was brutal, Maycen said. She did not make it out of the
building.
Morehouse had spent nearly every summer of her life at her mother's
family
home in Branford's Pine Orchard section. She had recently moved into an
apartment
in Manhattan.
Murillo-Cesar, 31, Norwalk Minutes
after the plane slammed into the north
tower of the World Trade Center several floors below his office,
Murillo
pulled out his cellular phone and called his wife. He said he was fine
and
he was headed to the stairwell to find a way out. That was the last
time
the Murillo family heard from the 31-year-old Colombian native who grew
up
in Norwalk. Now Murillo's father, Dairo Murillo, travels from his
Norwalk
home daily to New York, meets his son's wife, Alyson, and they search
the
city for news. After growing up in Norwalk and graduating from Catholic
schools
there, Cesar Murillo went to the University of Vermont. After
graduation,
he worked in New York's financial industry and landed a job as an
international
trader for Cantor Fitzgerald, the prestigious financial securities and
brokerage
firm located on the upper floors of the World Trade Center. He lived in
Connecticut and New York until last October, when he married and moved
to
New York with his wife. I have another son and daughter, said Dairo
Murillo. But he is the first one and we love him very much and anything
anyone knows
about him now would help so much.
Murphy-Christopher William White,
35, Norwalk Murphy, a New Haven-born attorney,
began work in April with the financial firm Keefe, Bruyette &
Woods,
located on the 88th and 89th floors of the World Trade Center. His
family
said he died in the attack. Murphy grew up in Woodbridge, and graduated
in
1988 from Yale University, where he was captain of the sailing team and
competed
in national sailing regattas. After leaving Yale, Murphy raced a
40-foot
sailboat across the Atlantic Ocean, from the Azores to the Caribbean.
He
met his wife, Catherine White, while both worked as sailing instructors
in
the Caribbean. The couple has two daughters. In 1992, he received a
doctor
of law degree from Emory University, and joined the firm Day, Berry
&
Howard's Stamford office.
McGarry-Katherine Katie-Noack
Formerly of North Merrick, where she attended
Sacred Heart School. Graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Hempstead
in
1988. Attended St. Bonaventure University in Olean and graduated from
St.
John's University in 1992. Was a senior sales executive for Telekurs,
USA.
Married to Bradley and is also survived by her parents, Kathryn and
Everett
McGarry.-- Newsday
Noonan-Robert W., 36, of Rowayton
A graduate of Avon Old Farms
School who attended Connecticut College, Noonan worked as a securities
trader
in the TradeSpark Division of Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade
Center.
Like many of the other victims, he spoke to his wife, Dana, right after
the
plane hit the tower he was in. They have a 2-year-old son.
Orloske-Margaret, 50, Windsor
Orloske, 50, a manager for J&H
Marsh & McLennan, an insurance brokerage firm that occupied the
93rd
through 100th floors of the 110-story Tower One of the World Trade
Center,
divided her week between New York and her home in Windsor. Her husband,
Duane,
has been awaiting word on his wife of 26 years since Tuesday, and hope
is
fading. The tower was the site of the first of two collisions by
hijacked
airliners into the New York landmark. I'm praying to God she is alive.
There
is not much more I can do, said Orloske, who works as Student Center
director
at Central Connecticut State University. I talked to her before she
left
for work Tuesday morning, he said. I think she tried to call me on my
cellphone
at about the time the plane hit, but I was in a meeting and didn't
realize
she had called until after I heard about the crash. She didn't leave a
message.
Since then, the phone has become the center of Orloske's life. We spent
Tuesday calling all the hospitals hoping we might find her there, he
said. Everything is so chaotic at the hospitals, though. We didn't find
out anything.
They don't seem to have a good system set up yet for identifying
people. But there are so many people lost, he continued, his voice
trailing off. They just took her name and my phone number and said they
would be in touch
if she shows up as a patient.
Patrick-James 30, Norwalk For
their own good, and the good of his soon-to-be-born
son, Patrick's family has decided the time has come to deal with the
tragic
probability that he is never coming home. Both families made the
decision
over the weekend to begin scheduling a memorial Mass, said Patrick's
mother-in-law, Jacqueline Buckmiller. It has been a roller coaster ride
for all of us since this happened, especially my daughter. At some
point,
you have to go on. Patrick, a bond broker with Cantor Fitzgerald on the
upper floors of 1 World Trade Center, was on the phone with a client
when
the hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 hit the building. Buckmiller
said
the client, who was not identified, called the family to relay
Patrick's
final phone conversation. He apparently simply interrupted the client
and
said he had to leave because the building was being evacuated because a
plane
had hit, Buckmiller said. Patrick is the son-in-law of former Naugatuck
Mayor Terry Buckmiller. Patrick's wife, Tera Lynn, a tutor at a middle
school
in Naugatuck, is expecting their first child, a boy, in four weeks. Oh
he
was so excited about this baby, Jacqueline Buckmiller said in between
tears
as she waited Monday for her daughter to return from a doctor's visit.
He
and Tera Lynn had just celebrated their first anniversary last weekend.
They
had gone to Vermont to celebrate. How quickly life can change.
Pelletier-Michael 36, Greenwich
Pelletier was working on the 105th floor
in the north tower when it was hit. He called his wife, Sophie, and
calmly
told her he was trapped in the building and that he loved her. He is
missing.
The Canadian-born commodities broker worked for TradeSpark, a division
of
the trading firm Cantor Fitzgerald. The family moved from Manhattan to
Greenwich
less than a year ago and has a 2-year-old daughter and a 3-month-old
son. His whole life was his family, Sophie Pelletier said. He was the
best father. I feel like my heart and soul have been taken away. In
the
phone call to his wife moments after the attack, Pelletier said he was
trying
to help others. His neighbor and college friend Randy Christ called him
as
he watched events unfold on television. Pelletier told Christ he wanted
to
get everyone out of here, and didn't seem overly concerned about
himself. I was telling him things I was seeing on TV, which he was
relaying to other
people in the room, Christ told the Greenwich Time. Sophie Pelletier
said
her husband often regretted that his commute prevented him from seeing
his
daughter when she woke up and went to sleep. We're still holding out
hope
for a miracle, she said.
Piver-Joshua 23, formerly of
Stonington Piver worked on the 105th floor
of one of the World Trade Center towers. A graduate of Stonington High
School
and the University of Vermont, he landed a job with Tradespark
securities
and was on top of the world, said U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2nd
district,
whose daughter was friendly with Piver. He was a great kid from a small
town who was on the path up the ladder, Simmons said Simmons said his
daughter,
Jane, was in New York City Thursday with Piver's sister to try to find
information about Piver, who remains among the missing.
Rooney-Sean, 50, Stamford After
the first plane hit the north tower, Rooney
called his wife, Beverly Eckert, who was at work in Stamford. He left a
message
that he was OK in his office at Aon Risk Services, located in the south
tower,
and planned to be there for a while, since they had secured the
building.Then
the second plane hit the south tower. Eckert went to the couple's
Stamford
home, where Rooney soon called. He told his wife that he was trapped on
the
105th floor of the burning building. He had made several attempts to
escape
- first trying to run down the stairs, but he was beaten back around
the
76th floor by the heat and smoke. Then he tried to access the
observation
deck just above his office, but he couldn't because the door was
locked.Rooney
was having difficulty breathing. The couple began talking about their
life
together and their love for each other. I heard him say, I love you,
then
I heard a terrible explosion and a roaring sound, Eckert told The
Stamford
Advocate. It sounded like Niagara Falls. I knew without seeing that he
was
gone. The couple was together for 34 years, meeting in high school in
their
native Buffalo. Rooney, a vice president at Aon, enjoyed an array of
sports
including golf, tennis and inline skating. He was a gourmet cook and
helped
restore the couple's Stamford home - even constructing the kitchen
table.
His acerbic wit was memorable, Eckert said. There's no way I can
summarize
my feelings for Sean in a story or a thought, Eckert said Wednesday.
There's
really only one story, it's a love story and it lasted 34 years.
Rothberg-Michael 39, Old Greenwich
Rothberg was an equity trader for Cantor
Fitzgerald working on the 104th floor of the north tower. About 10
minutes
before the plane hit, Rothberg had called his sister Rhonda Rothberg's
office
in Massachusetts to try out his new telephone system and to hear how he
sounded.
His sister had not yet arrived so Rothberg talked to her assistant.
After
hearing about the attack, Rothberg's parents, Jay and Iris Rothberg,
and
grandmother Celia Rothberg drove up from Florida to Old Greenwich. We
have
not found anybody in the upper floors who has yet to survive, Jay
Rothberg
said. Other memorial services for his associates are starting as early
as Sunday. ... We have to come to grips ... that our hope is over for
him
coming back alive. Michael Rothberg earned a master's degree in
mathematics
and computer science in 1986 from McGill University in Montreal. His
goal
was to work in the high-tech financial field.
Roux-James M. 43, formerly of New
London Roux, a lawyer who was born in New
London, was aboard United Airlines Flight 175, which crashed into the
trade
center's south tower. He was on the way to Thailand. Roux practiced law
in
Hartford and Portland, Maine, and was a litigator who helped recently
with
large settlements for several families affected by asbestos exposure
and
lead poisoning. He served three years in the Army and was a decorated
paratrooper. Family members described Roux as a devoted father, avid
mountain
climber, fly fisherman and musician. He is survived by two sons, his
mother
and stepfather, four sisters and a brother. Roux was a graduate of
Bowdoin
College and the University of Maine Law School. His cousin, state Sen.
Susan
Longley of Maine, told the Portland Press Herald that the family was
not
ready to talk about Roux. Roux was a partner in the Portland law firm
Roux
& Ghimire, a general trial practice and international law firm.
Sabbag-Jason 26, formerly of
Greenwich Sabbag, a Greenwich High
School and Georgetown University graduate, had recently moved to New
York
City and worked for the investment firm Fiduciary Trust International
in
the north tower of the World Trade Center. On Friday, friends and
supporters
showed up at the Greenwich home of Sabbag's parents, Ralph and
Brigette.
Family members combed New York City hospitals trying to find any news
of
Sabbag. We are still hopeful of getting our child back, said Ralph
Sabbag
Sanders-Stacey, 25, formerly of
Darien This won't help, John
Sanders says emotionally when asked about his daughter, still missing
after
the attack on the World Trade Center. He answers the phone before it
has
even finished ringing once, and when he says hello there is a hesitant
kind of hope. When he realizes it is a call that brings no news of his
daughter,
he is once again overcome by his grief. Sanders would confirm only that
Stacey
was living in New York City, after moving from the family's home in
Darien. You have to understand how difficult this is he says almost
apologetically. I just can't talk.
Schielke-Sean 27, formerly of
Southbury A 1992 graduate of Pomperaug
High School in Southbury, Schielke moved to New York City three years
ago.
He became a stock trader for Cantor Fitzgerald five months ago, working
on
the 105th floor of the trade center, said his father, Ken Schielke. His
parents
were watching television Tuesday morning and saw an airplane crash into
the
building where their son worked. We know he was at work that day. We
know
it definitely, Ken Schielke said. There is always hope for a miracle.
But we watched it and we know. The reality is -- it's a tough thing,
but
if we let him go, he can find peace and we can, too, as hard as it is.
In
our case, you know, you just know that he was gone. Schielke has a
twin,
Brandon, and an older brother, Kenneth Jr. He graduated from the
University
of Connecticut. Brandon Schielke described his twin as my best friend.
We were together for almost 20 years in the same room, he said. The
twins,
who attended separate colleges, still tried to get together every other
weekend,
and spent each summer together. Brandon and Kenneth Schielke Jr.
traveled
to New York City last week to visit their brother's apartment, which he
shared
with longtime girlfriend Sarah Christie, a former Woodbury resident. It
was comforting to be surrounded by his good friends, sharing warm
stories,
Brandon Schielke said. It was nice to be surrounded by people who love
him
as much as we do
Scott-Randolph, 48, Stamford
Scott, who worked for Eurobrokers on the 84th
floor of the World Trade Center south tower, called his wife Denise
early
Tuesday at the school where she teaches, leaving an upbeat message with
the
gym teacher who answered the phone. He told another teacher, tell
Denise
I'm OK; tell her that a 747 hit the trade center, but that I'm OK,
Denise
Scott said Thursday night from her home, where she was awaiting word.
He
remained missing with about 60 of his co-workers. I thought he was
safe,
that's the thing. I didn't know until later that his building had been
hit.
I thought he was safe, she repeated tearfully. Several of Randolph
Scott's
relatives fanned out around New York City on Wednesday and Thursday
with
his picture, anxiously showing it to emergency workers and television
crews.
Spagnoletti-Gregory T. 32,
formerly of Waterbury A memorial service is
planned at St. Patrick's Church in Waterbury Saturday morning for
Gregory
T. Spagnoletti, a Connecticut native, who died in the attack on the
World
Trade Center, his mother, Maria Spagnoletti of Waterbury, said.
Spagnoletti,
a vice president of fixed income at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc.,
was
on the 89th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center when the
second
hijacked jetliner struck that tower. He had called his girlfriend and
father
to tell them he was safe and would call back later. He lived on the
west
side of Manhattan and had worked at KBW for two years. A graduate of
Watertown
High School, Spagnoletti attended Curry College in Milton, Mass., on an
ice
hockey scholarship, and enjoyed sailing and hiking, his mother said.
Since September 11, the family has received an outpouring of support
from his many
friends. Just nice notes telling me what a wonderful person he was,
Maria
Spagnoletti said. Maria and Richard Spagnoletti have set up a memorial
fund
to establish a scholarship in his name.
Snyder-Dianne, 42, formerly of
Clinton. Catherine Levenduski remembers former
Clinton neighbor Dianne Bullis Snyder for all the times she helped out
in
Levenduski's child's school and for throwing her a baby shower to
celebrate
the birth of her third child. She was a very good neighbor, said
Levenduski.
The 42-year-old flight attendant was aboard American Airlines Flight 11
that
crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers. A resident of
Westport,
Mass., she was raised in Madison and lived for years in Clinton with
her
husband John and two children before they moved only a few years ago.
Spencer-George E. III, 50, Norwalk
Nicknamed Twig, the father of two was
a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford.Spencer worked for Euro
Brokers
on the 84th floor of the World Trade Center's south tower - struck by
the
second of two hijacked airliners on September 11. He'd turned 50 on
September 5. Spencer
was an outdoorsman who loved biking, climbing and sailing, his family
said.He
and his wife, Cathy, have two children, Ted, 22, and Lisa, 20, who live
in
Salt Lake City. Statkevicus-Derek , 30, Norwalk
Statkevicus, who remains
unaccounted for, worked for the financial firm of
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc.'s New York office. He and his wife
have
a 1-year-old child and are expecting another in January.
Tarrou-Michael and
King-Amy worked as flight attendants for United Airlines and were on
Flight
175 when it crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center.
Tarrou
grew up in Wantagh, N.Y., and King grew up in Jamestown, N.Y. Both
moved
to Stafford Springs where they met as flight attendants. He is survived
by
an 11-year-old daughter, Gina, from a previous marriage. Family members
said
he had a good relationship with his ex-wife, Jill, who recently moved
to
Florida with their daughter. He never intentionally hurt anyone, said
his
mother, Patricia Tarrou of Clearwater, Fla. Tarrou and King had hoped
to
move to Florida to be near his family. There is no doubt that both Mac
and
Amy would have done absolutely everything in their power to calm and
protect
the passengers and crew, and would have given their lives to prevent
such
a disaster, Tom Lumia, Tarrou's brother-in-law, said. They both were
two
of the most compassionate, peaceful, giving and understanding people on
the
earth, and they will be greatly missed. We will love them forever. --
The
Hartford Courant
Theurkauf-Thomas Jr., 44, Stamford
The telephone and the doorbell kept ringing
Saturday at the Glastonbury house of Thomas Theurkauf's parents. Old
friends
were calling and dropping by, many bringing home-cooked meals along
with
their prayers. The outpouring of support has just been amazing, said
Barbara
Theurkauf, Thomas' younger sister. Among those expressing their concern
were
Thomas Theurkauf's elementary school teacher, his classmates from
Glastonbury
High School and former Lt. Gov. Eunice Groark, a family friend.
Theurkauf,
who lives in Stamford with his wife, Robin, and their children, has not
been
seen since Tuesday's attack on the World Trade Center. A renowned
banking
analyst with the firm Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, he was named one of
Wall
Street's Top Guns by the Wall Street Journal in June. Theurkauf's
father,
also named Thomas, was diagnosed with cancer last week. It's quite an
ordeal,
Barbara Theurkauf said.
Toyen-Amy, 24, formerly of Avon
Toyen, daughter of Avon school board member Martin Toyen, was on a job
interview at the World Trade Center Tuesday morning; she phoned her
fiance
just before the blast. She was a great kid, very bright, said Avon Town
Manager Phil Schenck, who said Amy used to work summers in the tax
collector's
office at town hall.
Ugolyn-Tyler V., 23, Ridgefield Ugolyn graduated from Ridgefield
High School
in 1997 and worked at the World Trade Center. He was a great kid and a
very
excellent student, said Al Trimpert, his former basketball coach. He
lived
to play basketball. Several colleges recruited the 6-foot-2 Ugolyn. He
ultimately chose Columbia University. He hasn't been seen since
Tuesday.
Uman-Jonathan J., 33, Westport Julie Uman said she regularly
worried about
her husband working on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center.
But, she says, almost laughing, he would smile and say, But Julie, look
at the
wonderful view. The young father of two, director of mergers and
acquisitions
for eSpeed, a division of Cantor Fitzgerald, was on the 105th floor
when
a hijacked jetliner hit the World Trade Center on September 11. It has
been
the worst 10 days of my life, acknowledged his wife, who said she had
e-mailed
him just minutes before the airliner hit to say, I love you. We had
just
talked about what we would do if one or the other died and we agreed we
should
go on, take good care of the children and have a party to celebrate the
good
things about the other. On Wednesday, she did just that. Julie Uman
hosted
a party for 800 people, many of whom then attended a memorial service
the
next day for her husband. On Saturday, Julie Uman, determined to move
forward
as the two had discussed, led the first board of directors meeting of
the
Jonathan J. Uman Foundation. I'm not sure what yet, but whatever we
raise
will be used in some way for those who were touched by this tragedy,
she
said firmly. I will not stop my life or my children's lives and let
this
get us down, she added. He was a great guy at a great time in his life,
she said. I was lucky to have had him as a husband. Her voice dropped a
bit as she explained that she has done her best to explain what has
happened
to her children. I will have so many good stories to tell them about
him
when they get older, Uman said. In an attempt to ease the immediate
pain,
the three looked out the window one recent night and chose a star they
call Daddy's Star. Every night we look out the window at that star,
Julie
Uman says quietly. And we say, Goodnight, Daddy.
Vadas-Bradley 37, Westport
Donald Vadas of Norwalk was at a neighbor's
home when the first cellphone call came from his son, Bradley. The
stockbroker
who worked on the 89th floor of the south tower described a surreal
scene:
A plane had smashed into the north tower. Don't worry, I'm safe. It's
not
my building. But it's bizarre, Dad, people are jumping out of the
windows,
Donald Vadas recalled his son saying. Donald Vadas went into his house
and
flicked on CNN. I saw the second plane hit and I knew exactly what was
going
on. My son is on the 89th floor, and the plane looked like it hit at
about
the 60th or so. At 9:14, my son called again. He said, Dad, this is
probably
going to be our last conversation. I just want to tell you how much you
mean
to me, what a great dad you are. I love you. Then we talked a little
about
love, and he said, Dad, I gotta go. There's smoke in here now. He was
crying; he was scared. I had to get outside after that. I couldn't
control
myself. Later, Donald Vadas learned his son also had left a short
voice-mail
message for girlfriend, Kris McFerren. The two had been going together
for
nine years and planned to marry. He told her, Take care of my dad; the
two of you, love each other, Donald Vadas said. Vadas grew up in
Weston,
where his mother, Connie Taylor, still lives. He was a 1986 Boston
College
graduate and joined the brokerage firm Keefe, Bruyette and Woods,
working
his way up to a senior vice president. Vadas lived part-time in a
waterfront
home in Westport and part-time in New York City. He loved to fish, ride
jet
skis and play weekend baseball at Compo Beach in Westport. Last
weekend,
his father, sister, Melissa Prevey, of Rhode Island, and brother,
Christopher
Vadas, a Newtown police officer, held a remembrance at his Westport
home. He achieved a lot in his 37 years - and no one gave him anything.
He ate
a lot of spaghetti in college, Donald Vadas said. What a great son he
was.
Vanacore-Edward, 29, formerly of
North Haven Vanacore, who grew up in North
Haven and had lived in Jersey City, N.J., for six years, took a job as
a
stock analyst with Fiduciary Trust International in the World Trade
Center
six weeks ago. He had left the south tower where he worked after the
jet
smashed into the north tower, but returned to his 94th-floor office
after
security workers gave the go-ahead to return to work. He was last seen
in
the stairwell of the 78th floor. Vanacore was the youngest of six
children
and graduated from North Haven High School and Boston College.
Varacchi-Frederick, 35, of
Greenwich Varacchi's wife, Eileen, reached her
husband on his cellphone right after learning that American Airlines
Flight
11 struck the World Trade Center's north tower where he worked on the
105th
floor. I spoke to him at 9. He said he was trapped in his office and he
couldn't get out. Then the phone went dead, Eileen Varacchi said. He
was
just trying to get out of his office with the smoke and fire. Varacchi,
president of eSpeed, an electronic trading unit of Cantor Fitzgerald,
has
worked for the company for three years. A graduate of Hofstra
University,
he earned a master of business administration degree from New York
Institute
of Technology. Previously, he was managing director of global
technology
at NatWest Markets Group and before that, senior vice president and
chief
technology officer with Greenwich Capital Markets. Eileen Varacchi
described
her husband as energetic, happy, funny, generous and totally devoted to
his
three children, aged 8, 6 and 2.
Waters-James, 39, formerly of
Litchfield James Muddy Waters, a senior vice
president at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Inc. who was often quoted by
the
Bloomberg news service and provided financial analysts with the color
behind
economic data, is presumed dead. Waters, 39, was born in Danbury and
grew
up in Litchfield, where his mother, Joanne Waters, lives. He also
leaves
a younger brother and sister. His co-worker Jeffrey M. Zwirn remembers
that
Waters loved golf and going to the Hamptons, where he enjoyed sitting
on
the beach, reading his Barron's financial news magazines. His neighbors
on
the Upper East Side, Barbara and George Kovacs, remembered how smashing
he looked when he set out each weekday for his job as senior vice
president
specializing in trading and sales of fixed income products. We will
miss
our positive, sweet, handsome neighbor, they said in a letter to his
mother.
Waters was a graduate of George Washington University and had worked at
Keefe,
Bruyette & Woods since 1997. There's no question about it. He was
enjoying
a tremendous amount of success, Zwirn said. Joanne Waters said her son,
who was single, was honest and noble if a bit on the quiet side. He
loved
to talk politics and had attended three presidential inaugurals, for
both
Bushes, and one for Ronald Reagan. On September 11, Waters was in his
office
on the 89th floor of the south tower, when the north tower was struck
by
one of the hijacked airliners. He e-mailed colleagues at Bloomberg to
say
he was OK and called his mother, leaving a message with his younger
brother
that he was safe. Joanne Waters was at the post office when he called
and
tried to call him back after she returned. The phone was busy. Joanne
Waters
saw the second jet strike the south tower live on television. I've been
devastated ever since, she said Monday. Waters said she would
eventually
hold a memorial service for her son as hope runs out that he will be
found
alive. It gets harder every day because there's less hope, she said.
Williams-Candace Lee, Danbury, A
Danbury native and junior at Northeastern
University, boarded American Airlines Flight 11 in Boston for a
five-day
trip with her best friend and college roommate. Her uncle, Wayne
Skelly,
said the family learned that the aircraft slammed into the World Trade
Center
(where Williams had interned for Merrill Lynch) when his mother,
Candace's
grandmother, heard the news on the radio. The airline never called, but
the
family's fears were confirmed Tuesday night when the FBI called the
family
to Boston for a meeting. Williams was remembered in Danbury as a top
graduate
at Immaculate High School who volunteered with the Special Olympics,
played
basketball and ran cross-country. We missed her as soon as she
graduated,
her former Principal Joseph Gerics said. Now we're going to miss her
even
more. --The Hartford Courant
Winton-David H. 29, and Jeffrey
Bittner, 27, formerly of Wethersfield Winton
and Bittner were linked from childhood. They grew up in the same
Wethersfield
neighborhood, and their mothers were best friends. When Bittner
finished
college and was seeking a job, it was Winton, an analyst for Keefe,
Bruyette
& Woods, who helped his buddy land a job as a research analyst with
him
at the company's World Trade Center office. David graduated in 1990
from
Wethersfield High School and Jeff and I graduated two years later from
Kingswood-Oxford, said Pam Bittner, Jeffrey's twin sister. We don't
know
if they were together when the plane hit. We do know my brother was on
the
82nd floor in Tower Two with a group of people after the attack on
Tower
One. Apparently someone in the group called their wife to tell her what
was
going on. They said they were fine and that their tower was OK, Pam
Bittner
said. Jeff apparently sounded fine but I know he wanted to get out of
there.
At the Bittner home in Wethersfield, Pam, who lives in Boston, has been
keeping
a vigil near the phone while her older brother, Michael, Jeff's
girlfriend,
and other relatives and friends have hunkered down in New York in an
attempt
to find out anything they can about Jeff's whereabouts. He's my best
friend;
I can see him, said Pam Bittner, trying not to cry. I'm not leaving
this
house, she said. I still have a lot of hope. All you have is hope and
faith in a situation like this. Without it you are left only with
despair,
she said. My brother was strong and I know he would want us to deal
with
this, she said softly. If anybody can make it through this it is him,
Pam Bittner said, her voice trembling. I close my eyes and I can see
him
as clear as day. I can feel the phone call announcing. ...We found him!
Wodenshek-Christopher , 35,
recently of Stamford To shorten the commute to
the World Trade Center, Wodenshek had recently moved from Stamford to
New
Jersey along with his wife, Anne, and their five children. He was a
great
father, said sister-in-law Katie Gerne. He was very dedicated to his
job
and very dedicated to his wife and kids. ... He always had a smile on
his
face. He really held the family together. Wodenshek had worked as an
executive
at Cantor Fitzgerald for nearly two years. Since last week, the family
has
rallied around Anne Wodenshek and the couple's children - Sarah, 9;
Haley,
8; Mollie, 6; William, 4; and Zachary, 2. Wodenshek was also an avid
runner.
Wohlforth-Martin , 47, Greenwich
The managing director of the investment
firm Sandler O'Neill was at work with dozens of co-workers on the 104th
floor
of the south tower when the first plane struck the north tower.
Wohlforth
called his wife, Susan, president of the Junior League in Greenwich,
saying
Port Authority officials had advised south tower workers that their
building
was safe. Susan Wohlforth started home. Twenty minutes later, after the
second
plane hit, Susan Wohlforth's secretary received a scratchy, faint phone
call.
Martin Wohlforth identified himself twice, and asked for Susan. Then
the
connection was lost. Susan Wohlforth and the couple's 16-year-old
daughter,
Chloe, went to the disaster scene and showed his picture around, hoping
for
a bit of news. They heard nothing. At least 70 Sandler O'Neill
employees
have not been accounted for. He is truly an excellent, husband, father
and
neighbor, said Susan's sister, Cricket Burns. He is so well loved.
Works-John, 36, Darien Works, a
trader on the 89th floor of the World Trade
Center, saw the impact of American Airlines Flight 11 in the north
tower
from his office. The first thing he did was call his wife, Pam, at
their
Darien home. He said, Turn on the TV, a plane just hit Tower 1, Pam
Works
said. They wondered aloud what John, who survived the 1993 bombing at
the
World Trade Center, should do. Pam suggested leaving the building, but
wasn't
adamant. He called back and said, They're saying our building is fine.
We're not in a panic mode, Pam Works said. Minutes later, United
Airlines
Flight 175 hit the south tower. Why didn't I say to him, Get out? Get
out
and take a walk for a couple of hours, Pam Works said. Dozens of John
Works'
acquaintances, some his wife doesn't even know, have called her. In
February
he returned to Keefe Bruyette & Woods Inc., where he began his
career
in 1986, after nearly a decade at JP Morgan. They are building a house
in
Rowayton, and Oct. 7 will be their 12th wedding anniversary. They have
a
3-year-old daughter, Allison. Pam Works hasn't given up hope yet that
her
husband, an avid sailor, is still alive. Today, I'm extremely lonely,
she
said. I can't throw in the towel. What I'm battling with today is when
do
you throw in the towel.
York-Edward P. 45, Wilton Edward
York and every colleague in his department
who went to work on September 11 were killed after the first hijacked
jetliner
struck the north tower of the World Trade Center. The Wilton resident
was
vice president and director of human resources at Cantor Fitzgerald, a
company
that lost more than 700 employees in the attack. Only one person in the
department, who was out of town at the time, survived, said Amy
Nauiokus,
a spokeswoman at the company. York, remembered as a leader and a person
who
got things done, was working on the 104th floor at the time of the
attack.
He leaves his wife, Kimberly, and three children, said the Rev. Michael
Palmer
at Our Lady of Fatima Church in Wilton, where a fund has been set up to
meet
the immediate needs of York's family.
Zion-Charles, 54, Greenwich Carole
Zion heard her husband's boss say the
words she did not want to hear. In a TV news interview, a stunned
Howard
Lutnick, chairman of the financial securities and brokerage firm Cantor
Fitzgerald, said there were no signs that Cantor employees made it out
of
the north tower. Charles Zion, an equities trader for the large
international
firm, was the father of 16-year-old Zachary, a Greenwich High School
student. He was a great guy and a great husband, said Carole Zion.
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