Three years ago, I wrote about my desire to learn the names of those who died on September 11th. Every year, I read biographies and look at pictures – they are not forgotten. I am reposting what I wrote from 2012, and I’m including the names to the friends and loved ones people left in the comments, plus two pictures I took at the 9/11 memorial last year. I would love to continue adding names, so if you have a person you’d like to share, please let me know by comment or email. Sending love and light to everyone today.
September 11, 2012
A few nights ago I was flipping through the channels on my TV and came across a special on September 11th. After that one ended, another came on, and then another, and over the last few days I haven’t stopped watching. As I sat on the couch sobbing my way through another documentary, Mike gently suggested that I change the channel. But I couldn’t.
I feel a deep responsibility to watch and read everything I can about the people who died on September 11th. I want to listen to their stories. I want to hear about how some of them sacrificed themselves to save co-workers and strangers. I want to hear about the man who loved his job, and the woman who happened to be there for a meeting. With each new show I watch, I see new faces and learn new names.
Martin J Egan Jr, Durrell V Pearsall Jr, Michael Joseph Cawley, Carlos R Lillo, Michael N. Fodor
Someday Annie is going to learn about September 11th. I know inevitably she will learn the name of the organization that orchestrated the attacks, and she’ll probably learn the names of some of the people responsible. I want to be able to tell her the names of the people I’ve learned about. I want her to know and remember the names of victims as easily as the rest of us remember the names of the men who killed them.
Ann M McHugh, Paul Regan Cascio, John Anthony Sherry, Patrick J McGuire
I know what it’s like to want the world to remember someone. I want Madeline and Jackie to be spoken about for many decades. I want their lives to mean something to people beyond their immediate families and friends. I am sometimes overwhelmed with the need to fill a person’s ears and eyes with the essence of the person I lost.
Richard Herron Woodwell, Frances Haros, Bradley James Fetchet
If I want that so desperately for my own, I have to do it for others, too. So when I watch these programs, I learn new names. I memorize them and search them on the internet. I read about someone’s child, spouse, father, mother, friend. I cry for them, mourn for them, and promise to never forget them.
We also remember:
Dominique Pandolfo
Romeo Bishundat
Julian Cooper
Gregg Froehner
Bill Biggart
Chuck and Marty
Christine Lee Hanson
Danny Afflito
Bobby Evans
Rick Rescorla
Michael Grady Jacobs
Jamie Lynn Fallon
Alan Beavan
James Gadiel
Noel Foster
Neilie Heffernan Casey
Christopher James Hanley, Peter Edward Mardikian, Andrew Fisher, Katherine McGarry Noack, Eric Lehrfeld, Takashi Ogawa
Ingeborg A. D. Lariby, Anthony Portillo, Tatiana Ryjova, Theodoros Pigis, Vanessa Lang Langer and Her Unborn Child, Paul Lisson, Margaret Ruth Echtermann, Richard Al Penny, Rochelle Monique Snell, Edwin J. Zambrana, Jr.
Gwensarah says:
It means so much to me to see Bobby Evan’s name here. Thank you
harriet says:
Although I do not reside in your country we hold hands today and cry side by side. Thank you for posting the names & links.
AudZar says:
Do you know of the npr story corps initiative to record stories for each of the lives taken? http://www.npr.org/2011/09/05/140144377/family-friends-of-sept-11-victims-we-remember
Andrea says:
As a resident of New Jersey it is not difficult to find people that have lost loved ones in the 9/11 attack. I found out months later that one of my former co-workers had died We did not work together in NYC but at the local mall years earlier when I was a college student. His name is Mark Zangrili. He left behind a wife and two young sons. His sister, a middle school Math teacher, had both of my kids in her class (separate years). My kids said that she would fondly speak of her brother from time to time.
Living in this area it is easy to find people to tell their stories. My friend’s brother lost his lifelong best friend on 9/11. He stepped in to help his wife and kids. Years later, and after much soul searching, they married and he is step father to the three children.
Another friend and her husband both worked in the first tower for separate companies. Neither knew if the other survived because cell phones were not working. Fortunately both did make it safely out of the building and after many long hours each arrived home. They could not communicate during those hours and did not know the other survived until arriving home. They lost their desire to continue working in NYC and both now work in NJ.
A woman that I work with now was a teacher assistant in 2001. She said many of the Kindergarten students in her class lost parents that day. Our area of NJ is about a 20 minute commute to NYC so many people live here and work there. I often wonder how the children feel growing up without a parent that was killed so horrifically. How does the surviving parent begin to explain and make sense of why their other parent isn’t coming home. Many of them are now in their late teens and early 20s.
Does it feel differently to lose someone in a terrorist attack vs a car accident vs illness?
I wish peace and comfort to all that have suffered a loss no matter the circumstance.
I have read your blog for years but have never commented. Thank you for your nut post. My older son (almost 22) has a severe nut and shellfish allergy. My younger son (19) has none. Parents of young children with allergies will learn how to navigate through the school years. Communication is key. It is difficult but manageable and gets easier the older the child becomes.
I’d like to close with an Ellen Degeneres quote, “Be kind to one another.”
Melissa says:
Thank you for writing this. I also want to know the victims and heroes, all these years later.
Erin says:
Thank you for this post. It always bothers me a little when I see lighthearted business-as-usual blog posts on 9/11. It’s nice to see someone else is reflective today. Not everyone has to post a memorial or mention the events at all, but I personally believe the typical blogging can wait until tomorrow.
Becca says:
September 11th is hitting me harder than usual this year. My wife recently took on a new project with her work that has her taking monthly trips to CA from the East Coast. She flies from my local airport to JFK and then JFK –> SFO. Her next trip is this Tuesday.. I can’t help but see her in all those people on the planes. It makes my chest so tight that I can barely breathe.
So much sadness from that day.
Nellie says:
You are a beautiful soul with a heart as precious as gold. Thank you for this post. I have two names to add.
1. Peter C. Alderman
There is a foundation created by his parents in honor of him. The work they have done is amazing, even amidst the pain of their son’s loss they feel day in and day out. My boss is on the Committee of this amazing foundation and I feel honored to have been told Peter’s story through my boss who is very good friends with his family.
2. Domenick Mircovich
I never met him but my brothers grew up and hung out in the same circle of friends. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about this man and his warm, loving heart. This obituary alone speaks volumes of what a great man he was and what an imprint he made in the lives around him.
Domenick Mircovich
World Trade Center
Hugger and Storyteller
When Domenick Mircovich told the baseball players he coached to run home, he would run a few steps with them to make sure they went to home plate and not back to their houses. His stories always came back to where they started, despite all their tangents. One of his T-shirts and a key chain proclaimed: “Help! I’m talking and I can’t shut up!”
Everyone from his past knew him as Mosh, derived from Marsh, short for Marshmallow, for his fair complexion. He’s even listed that way in the telephone book. He and his wife, Marla, and three children — Domenick Jr., 10; Marisa, 5; and Luiza, 3 — moved to a new home in Closter, N.J., last July. They had a tradition on nights that Mr. Mircovich, 40, was home: “We would always say `Big hug,’ and we’d all hug together, the five of us,” Mrs. Mircovich said. Not every night, because sometimes he worked late at his job as an accounting manager at Euro Brokers Inc. “It could happen any time of the day, it was just what we would do,” she said, adding that it would last at least half a minute, until one of the children broke away.
“I still wait for him to come home,” she said.
The family’s last big hug was on the night of Sept. 10.
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on Sunday, April 7, 2002.
Amy says:
It’s so unexpected, yet comforting to see Romeo’s name here. What a great guy. thank you for posting that.
Meghan says:
I have one to add.
1) George Cain: NY firefighter who was a friend of my cousin. http://www.legacy.com/sept11/story.aspx?personid=132694
From my cousin’s tribute: Honoring my friend George Cain of NYC Ladder Co. 7, who was smart and handsome and funny and free-spirited and full of life. And brave. Really, really brave.
Erica says:
Lisa Anne Frost. She was my babysitter growing up and she was so full of promise.
http://www.voicesofseptember11.org/dev/memorial_content.php?idbio=903520061&idcontent=726670425
Katrina says:
I was going to mention Lisa, too. I did not know her, but I walk and jog by her memorial tree at RSM lake all the time. For as many laps as I do, I never pass by her memorial without thinking of her. She was on United Flight 175. Just 22 years old. She will never be forgotten.
Heather says:
I feel very similar to you. Every year I have a need to learn of the people who were killed, to learn of those they left behind, to learn of those who sacrificed to help. It is hard. But boy, if it is hard for me, someone who has no personal connection, that speaks volumes to how it is for those personally touched. It seems the least I can do each year is to learn an new name to remember and pray for.
Jeri says:
Beautiful tribute! A young girl from my town lost her life that day during a business trip to the Towers….her name is Andrea Haberman (Wisconsin)
Julie Vidani says:
I was going to write about Andrea as well. She was a recent graduate from St. Norbert College in De Pere, WI, was engaged to be married and was on her first business trip – to the World Trade Center. I think of her often. (I am also an alum of St. Norbert)
Jerilynn says:
Thank you for this moving and thoughtful remembrance, Heather. Captain Ogonowski, the first to be killed by the terrorists, was well known and well liked in our hometown. He left behind three daughters and a wife, one of whom recently was married without her father there to walk her down the aisle. The best thing we can do is honor the courage of the wonderful heroes that emanated from not only the Fire and Police Departments but from everyday life. Remembering those who perished and keeping their family in our thoughts and prayers is the best way to ensure they were not lost in vain on this horrible, horrible day.
Noelle says:
This is a beautiful tribute, Heather. For some reason, September 11th memories are flooding me harder than usual this year. I have a name to add to your list: Scott M. Schertzer. I tagged you in a post about him on Facebook because the original was posted on my old blog which is now private. There are also photos. You are welcome to use any of the content or photos for your blog.
Lindsay says:
Proud to share an alma mater with this incredible man:
Jerilynn says:
Lindsay, I remembered watching this!! So very glad you posted this, because I was thinking of it all morning but couldn’t remember when/where I saw it. So beautiful. Thank you.
Katrina says:
This is the second time I’ve watched this. Beautiful. What a wonderful man.
Jerilynn says:
PS–Wanted to add that Welles, the amazing subject of the video Lindsay posted, is located on panel S-50 of the memorial.
Lindsay says:
When I go to the memorial, I would like to visit there. Thank you, Jerilynn.
Peggy says:
I love this post, Heather. You’ve perfectly expressed the way I feel–I want to honor those who died that day and to let those who love them know that they will NEVER be forgotten.
Beth says:
Charles Lawrence “Chip” Chan – was one of 6 brothers in a family that I went to school with in my hometown of Peoria, IL. He was a few years older then me but one of his brothers was a year older and one was a year younger then me so the family was very familiar to me. You couldn’t miss them when the whole Chan crew came to church each Sunday because they basically took up a whole pew. He worked for Cantor Fitzgerald after attending the University of Illinois, I will never forget watching the news and hearing his mothers voice that unforgettable day and what it felt like to find his name when I was fortunate enough to visit the memorial site. Your desire to learn all you can and remember those lost is more powerful then you will ever know, I know you didn’t know him but thinking about him matters, I didn’t know Maddie or Jackie but I think of them often and hope that matters too.
Lisa says:
This is perfect to share with my kids….and for my heart. Thank you. To remember those lost…beautiful.
Kay says:
I lived in Queens at the time, and my community was hit very hard. So many people died that day, but there are three names I’d like to add to your list if I could.
1) Frank Monahan (http://www.voicesofseptember11.org/dev/memorial_biography.php?idbio=151836787) was a school friend of my mom and uncle. I in turn went to elementary school with his son. After hearing about the attack, and witnessing the second plane on our way down the stairwell, my teacher dropped us off in the school yard while the adults hashed out a plan. My classmate was surrounded by a few friends when I wandered over. I asked what was wrong, and he simply said “my dad is dead”. It was the first time I had ever seen someone in (what I believe was) shock. A well meaning adult had a radio news channel on and we heard that Cantor Fitzgeralds floor was hit, and there were likely no survivors. Unfortunately, we were old enough that my friend knew what company his father worked for.
When my mom picked me up a short time later, I told her about it (I didn’t understand my classmates reaction), not knowing she had been friends do with Frank. She held it together long enough to answer my questions on the walk home, but I saw her crying when she thought I wouldn’t notice. I never knew him personally, but it think about him every year- by all accounts, he was a good man, a good father, and a good friend.
2) Patrick Sullivan (http://www.nationalreview.com/article/246296/remembering-patrick-sullivan-jack-dunphy) was the son of a couple I knew through family members. They are kind, generous people, and miss their son terribly. While I didn’t know him personally either, I remember how much people in our community grieved his loss.
3) Kevin Pfeifer (http://bravestmemorial.net/html/members_individual/pfeifer_kevin/pfeifer_newsday_article.html) was a firefighter for the FDNY, and a friend of my parents. He went in to the towers likely knowing he would never make it out. I remember meeting him a few times, and he was always a wonderfully kind person. The night of the attacks, my mom heard through the grapevine that Kevin was in the towers, and no one had heard from him yet. Since we were waiting on news of a cousin and aunt, as well as friends and neighbors, everyone held out hope. As the days went on and more victims were accounted for, people began fearing the worst, but my mom asked about him constantly, and prayed constantly. About a week later, she received a phone call telling her he was confirmed dead (or something just as ominous- I never asked for details), and I can still remember the way she sobbed for him. She still thinks of him often, and so do I. There was a documentary being made about firefighters right before 9/11, and he is recorded on it. I haven’t watched it in a long time, but if I remember correctly, the last time he was shown, he was leading a group of firefighters up into one of the towers. If you’re interested, I’ll include the link. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B00I55B5RO?ie=UTF8&keywords=9%2F11&qid=1442046248&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1)
Thank you for remembering the victims and sharing their stories with Annie. It’s easy to say “never forget”, but not as easy to explain why it’s important to never forget.
Auntie_M says:
Heather, I so, so love that you are doing this. I feel the same way about 9/11 & about WWII (minus learning every name there, but the stories are important!)
The pictures you’ve added to your tribute are poignant. Thank you for sharing these names, these stories, these lives with us.
May we never forget; may we always remember. They were someone’s loved ones.