Westchester County honors those who died on September 11, 2001 with a Memorial Ceremony at "The Rising"

911September 11, 2019 - In a solemn ceremony at Kensico Dam Plaza in Valhalla, Westchester County paid tribute to every life that was lost during the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Standing before “The Rising,” the County’s beautiful 9/11 Memorial, surrounded by dignitaries, clergy, colleagues, local residents and families of the fallen, County Executive George Latimer commemorated the Westchester residents who passed on that devastating day eighteen years ago, as well as those who have died from 9/11 related illness since the attacks.

Latimer said: “This somber day is a day to remember, and a day to never forget. To remember those who died, on a beautiful morning, going to work and simply living a normal day. To remember those who bravely sought to save others, and died. To remember those who helped clean up the horrid aftermath, and fell victim to disease and premature death. To remember the families left behind.

And it is a day to never forget. To never forget the heights of evil to which men will rise out of hatred and envy and wickedness. To never forget all the things we now must do to protect each other, knowing that a single lapse could cause the death of thousands.

We repurpose this day to community service and giving to others through volunteerism. We repurpose our community lives to turning away from hate and prejudice, towards hope and faith and love.

We are imperfect beings but we are capable of great things. That must be our focus moving forward, with a firmness rooted in living through that day of horror, now 18 years past.”

Emcee Tara Rosenblum, News 12 Westchester Reporter and Anchor, recalled the morning of 9/11: “September 11 is a day forever etched into the memories of every single one of us living in Westchester County. I feel there is nothing more important that we can do on this somber milestone, than come together as one community to reflect, remember and mourn, while praying for our selfless first responders who continue to pay the price for their heroism that day.”

Father Joseph M. McShane, President of Fordham University, lead the ceremony in prayer: “When I recall the many souls lost on September 11, I don't think of terrorism, nor politics, nor religious extremism. Instead, I think of empathy, and its lack. If there is a force to counter the destructive rage of the 9/11 attackers, it is the willingness to imagine oneself in another's shoes. So many of Our Lord's teachings boil down to empathy, and if we take but one thing away from this remembrance, I hope it is an enlarged capacity to love thy neighbor as thyself."

Matthew J. McCauley, 9/11 First Responders Advocate said: “On this 18th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, we remember those that we lost on that day, who unassumingly kissed their loved ones good-bye that morning for the last time. We also remember those 9/11 responders that have been taken from us by cancers and other illnesses they developed from their rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero, The Pentagon and Shanksville, as they have also kissed their loved ones good-bye for the last time. Our remembrance of these men and women is a symbol to anyone that wishes to challenge this great County, that we will never back down to terrorist activities and we will Never Forget!”

Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators Benjamin Boykin said: “The attacks of September 11, 2001 changed us.  They stole our loved ones, stripped us of our innocence, shook our sense of security, and, unfortunately, too often, have made us more suspicious of one another. As we recognize the sacrifice of the first responders and commemorate the lives of those who were taken from us, let us honor them by holding ever tighter to our values. Let us confront hatred, intolerance and violence with a renewed commitment to each other.”

Imam Mohamed Shaffieq Chace of the Islamic Center of New Rochelle said: “We have seen the evolution of groups targeting people of faith. By Devine Order we are all created differently with respect to our color, culture and language. The only way to move forward is to come to know one another, and only then will we appreciate those differences. Only then will we be able to remove the hate that we saw 18 years ago, and the numerous killings since then.”

Rabbi Jonathan Blake of the Westchester Reform Temple said: “In the Jewish tradition, the number 18 is symbolic of life. It is poignant to gather on this 18th Anniversary of the attacks of 9/11. We come to honor the lives who perished and those who worked valiantly to save and defend life. May their lives always be recalled for blessing.” 

The ceremony included the presentation of colors, led by the Westchester County Police Department’s Ceremonial Unit Color Guard, followed by Pipes and Drums of the Police Emerald Society of Westchester County. Students from the Elmsford Union Free School District led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Concordia College’s Brass Ensemble played. A commemorative wreath was laid on the “Beam of Remembrance,” a steel beam that was pulled from the ashes of the World Trade Center, and dedicated to the County as a lasting reminder of our nation’s sacrifice and strength on that fateful day. 

The names of those who were lost, as displayed on the “Circle of Remembrance,” were read aloud by Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins and members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators. The names of the Westchester County men and women who died on September 11, 2001 are as follows:

 

  • William Abrahamson

  • Peter Craig Alderman

  • Kazuhiro Anai

  • Sharon Balkcom

  • Yelena Belilovsky

  • Michael J. Berkeley

  • George Bishop

  • Michael A. Boccardi

  • Michelle Renee Bratton

  • Thomas M. Brennan

  • Jonathan Eric Briley

  • Mark Brisman

  • Lloyd Brown

  • Ronald Bucca

  • Tom Burke

  • Mary T. Caulfield

  • Alex Ciccone

  • Kevin Francis Cleary

  • Robert J. Coll

  • Helen Crossin-Kittle

  • Joan Cullinan

  • Patrick W. Danahy

  • Dwight Darcy

  • Marisa DiNardo

  • Simon Dedvukaj

  • Simon A. Dhanani

  • John J. Doherty

  • Christopher Michael Duffy

  • Paul Fiori

  • Thomas Fitzpatrick

  • Kevin Joseph Frawley

  • Alan W. Friedlander

  • John Patrick Gallagher

  • Charles Garbarini

  • Peter Gelinas

  • Kieran Joseph Gorman

  • Yugi Goya

  • Gary Haag

  • Richard B. Hall

  • Vincent Halloran

  • W. Ward Haynes

  • Nobuhiro Hayatsu

  • Katsuyuki Hirai

  • Thomas Warren Hohlweck, Jr.

  • Montgomery McCullogh Hord

  • Louis Steven Inghilterra

  • Ariel Louis Jacobs

  • Arthur Joseph Jones

  • Douglas G. Karpiloff

  • Satoshi Kikuchihara

  • Takashi Kinoshita

  • Glenn Kirwin

  • Richard J. Klares

  • Gary Koecheler

  • Vanessa Langer

  • Denis Lavelle

  •  Joseph Leavey

  • Michael A. Lepore

  • Richard Lynch, Jr.

  • Michael J. Lyons

  • Katie Marie McCloskey

  • John T. McErlean, Jr.

  • Francis McGuinn

  • Michael McHugh, Jr.

  • Barry J. McKeon

  • Robert C. McLaughlin, Jr.

  • Christopher D. Mello

  • Yamel Merino

  • William Minardi

  • Krishna V. Moorthy

  • George Morell

  • Dennis Moroney

  • Takuya Nakamura

  • Soichi Numata

  • James A. Oakley

  • Diana J. O'Connor

  • Amy O’Doherty

  • Marni Pont O'Doherty

  • Samuel Oitice

  • Sean Gordon Corbett O'Neill

  • Chris Orgielewicz

  • Timothy F. O’Sullivan

  • Michael B. Packer

  • Thomas Palazzo

  • James Nicholas Pappageorge

  • William H. Pohlmann

  • Hemanth Kumar Puttur

  • Vincent A. Princiotta

  • Valsa Raju

  • Robert A. Rasmussen

  • John Reo

  • Joseph R. Riverso

  • Gregory E. Rodriguez

  • Edward Ryan

  • Tatiana Ryjova

  • Sam Salvo

  • Eric Sand

  • Robert Scandole

  • Marian Serva

  • Daniel Shea

  • Joseph Shea

  • Linda Sheehan

  • Thomas J. Shubert

  • Allan Shwartzstein

  • David Silver

  • Michael John Simon

  • Thomas E. Sinton, III

  • Rochelle M. Snell

  • Robert Speisman

  • Joseph P. Spor, Jr.

  • Timothy C. Stout

  • John Swaine

  • Sean Patrick Tallon

  • Michael A. Tamuccio

  • Kenichiro Tanaka

  • Joanna Vidal

  • Jeffrey Walz

  • James Arthur Waring

  • Timothy Matthew Welty

  • William Wik

  • Marc Zeplin

  • Ivelin Ziminski

  • Joseph J. Zuccala

The names of the men and women who lost their battles to 9/11 related illnesses since the attacks were read aloud by their surviving family members. Their names will be added to the 9/11 Related Illness Memorial that will accompany “The Rising” once it is complete. Those names are as follows: 

  • New York City Battalion Chief Kevin Byrnes, Sr. of Pleasantville – Feb 4, 2004

  • New York City Detective Joseph Seabrook of Mount Vernon – May 29, 2010

  • Peekskill Detective Charles Wassil Jr. of White Plains – May 1, 2013

  • New York City Police Officer Nicholas Finelli of Hawthorne – June 8, 2013

  • New York City Firefighter – EMT – Luis de Peña of Mount Vernon – Nov 7, 2013

  • New York City Police Captain Ronald G. Peifer Sr. of Hartsdale – March 5, 2014

  • New York City Detective First Grade James W. Monahan of Ossining – Oct 13, 2014

  • Yonkers Police Officer Anthony Maggiore of Cortlandt – Nov 22, 2014

  • New York City Transit Authority, James Patrick Sullivan of Pleasantville – May 13, 2015

  • Yonkers Police Lieutenant Roy McLaughlin of Yonkers – Sept 10, 2015

  • New York City Police Officer Joseph Heid of Yonkers – July 20, 2016

  • New York City Police Sergeant Patrick Boyle of Yorktown Heights  – Sept 15, 2016

  • New York City Police Sergeant Patrick Coyne of Mt. Kisco – March 12, 2017

  • Fairview Firefighter Robert A. Mentrasti of Greenburgh – April 14, 2017

  • New York City Firefighter Michael O'Hanlon of Cortlandt – August 28, 2017

  • Yonkers Firefighter Niell Tyndal Jr. of Yonkers – September 19, 2017

  • Harrison Police Department, Walter Mallinson of Harrison – September 9, 2107

  • White Plains Fire Department, Clark Douglass of White Plains – July 21, 2018

  • New Rochelle Police Department Kathleen O'Connor-Funigiello of New Rochelle – August 16, 2018

  • New York City Firefighter, John Thomas Moran of Granite Springs – June 20, 2019

  • New York City Firefighter, Kevin J. Nolan of Mamaroneck – July 17, 2019

The ceremony concluded with a recessional to The Rising, where white carnations were placed on the plaques inscribing the names of the Westchester County’s residents who died on September 11, 2001, and next to the names of those who have died since.