Lacrosse Remembers: In Honor of Those in Our Community Who Perished on 9/11

OF THE 2,977 PEOPLE who were killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, 75 had known connections to lacrosse as players, coaches and supporters of the community.

USA Lacrosse honors their memory with a 9/11 Memorial Garden that overlooks Tierney Field at its headquarters in Sparks, Md., as well as with an exhibit in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum that includes a piece of steel recovered from the World Trade Center.

While this page has been updated from a previous version, much of the text remains as written originally in obituaries captured on the Facebook page, "Lacrosse Remembers."

Terrence (Ted) Adderley Jr. was a lacrosse player at Detroit (Mich.) Country Day and was working on Wall Street when he perished in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He founded the investment club at Vanderbilt and had just started his career at Fred Alger Management in the World Trade Center. He was 22.

Chris Blackwell was the father of a lacrosse player from Brewster, N.Y. A firefighter for 20 years, he was assigned to FDNY Rescue Company 3 in the South Bronx as a specialist in collapsed buildings. He was 42.

Bruce "Chappy" Boehm was a fan of Hofstra lacrosse and the father of Stacey, a lacrosse player in Franklin Square, N.Y. He had a zest for life and a love affair with the beach. His memorial service was held at Nassau Beach, where was a lifeguard and given the nickname "Chappy" for the way he kicked his feet when he walked like comedian Charlie Chaplin. Boehm, 49, ran 20 New York City marathons and several others before he died. Sept. 11 was his wedding anniversary with his wife, Irene. He was 49.

Brandon Buchanan was a "beacon of light" and his hard work made the difference in his lacrosse career. When he wanted to master some skill, he would go out and drill the ball against the side of his family's barn in Honeoye Falls, N.Y., until he was satisfied. He was 24.

Dennis Buckley was a big man — 6 feet, 210 pounds, with an athletic build. He had been a star lacrosse player at Lynbrook (N.Y.) High School and graduated from the University of Maryland, which he attended on a full lacrosse scholarship. His wife, Cathleen, said he still walked like he was carrying a lacrosse stick. Buckley, 38, had three young daughters at the time of the attacks.

Thomas Burke was the father of lacrosse players from Bedford, N.Y. Fresh out of Holy Cross in 1985, nobody wanted Burke on Wall Street. Undeterred, he put on his suit every day and attended training courses at Liberty Brokerage, uninvited. Impressed, the company hired him after three months. Eventually, he became a partner at Cantor Fitzgerald. He died at age 38.

David O. Campbell was the father of two lacrosse players at Delbarton School, N.J. He was an accomplished collegiate swimmer, tennis player and golfer. His sons, who played soccer, hockey and lacrosse, would chide him for not participating in more "macho" sports. He would tell them that his sport — swimming — was the only one that could save your life. He was 51.

James Christopher Cappers loved taking his athleticism into the great outdoors, where he often went water skiing, hiking and camping with friends and with his wife, Kathleen Vieira. He grew up in New Jersey, graduated from Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania and earned a degree in finance from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, where he played rugby and lacrosse. The father of two boys, Cappers, 33, worked on the 94th floor in the North Tower as an assistant vice president and private client broker with Marsh & McLennan.

Tom Collins, of Dix Hills, N.Y., played lacrosse at Ithaca College and was an avid skier and outdoorsman. He spent every Thursday planning weekend activities and socials for his friends and family. A managing director at Sandler O'Neill, he was at work on the South Tower’s 104th floor. Survived by his wife, Julia, Collins was 36.

Tim Coughlin, with "his big Irish face" and magnetic personality, played lacrosse at St. Mary's (N.Y.) High School and was the kind of man who gave the towel guy at the gym his start on Wall Street. There was plenty of substance to back up his friendly appearance. When Coughlin was not trading treasury securities at Cantor Fitzgerald, he was taking his three children or planning social gatherings. He was "a friendship hawk," according to one of his three brothers. Coughlin’s son, Sean, recently completed his college lacrosse career at High Point.

Welles Crowther played lacrosse at Nyack (N.Y.) High School and Boston College. He was a volunteer fireman for the Upper Nyack Fire Department. Crowther worked for Sandler O'Neill and Partners on the 104th floor of the south tower. Witnesses reported that after the plane hit, Crowther, with a red bandana covering his mouth and nose to protect him from the debris, re-entered the building at least three times to rescue people. He is directly responsible for saving the lives of at least 12 people. He was 24 years old when he perished during the collapse of the south tower of the World Trade Center.

Martin DeMeo played lacrosse and attended Port Washington High School and Nassau Community College. DeMeo, 47, was a New York City firefighter and left behind a wife and two children. He took pleasure in spending time with his family‚ including camping‚ baseball and trips to Montauk.

Douglas DiStefano played football and lacrosse West Islip (N.Y.) High School and was a new employee of Cantor Fitzgerald. He also tended bar at Hobson's Bar and Grill in Hoboken, N.J., where he lived. DiStefano had yet to receive his second paycheck when he perished on Sept. 11, 2001. He was 24.

Capt. Bob Dolan played lacrosse at Hanover Park (N.J.) High School and the U.S. Naval Academy. At age 40, he was commander of the U.S.S. John Hancock. During his 20-year Navy career, he served in Bahrain, the Arabian Gulf, the Adriatic Sea and the Mediterranean, at various naval stations and on the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the mid-1990s before obtaining a master’s degree from the National War College. He received several decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal. Dolan was working on the first floor of the Pentagon as head of the strategy and concepts branch when a hijacked jetliner slammed into the building. He was 43.

Frank Doyle played lacrosse at Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Doyle called his wife, Kimmy Chedel, after terrorists struck the World Trade Center's north tower telling her he had to stay to help. Doyle was a triathlete and the head of equity trading at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. He was 39.

Christopher Duffy, 5-foot-10 and all muscle, was captain of his lacrosse team at Fordham Prep (N.Y.), where he spent a good bit of his time on the field knocking other players down. At 23, he had just moved out of his parents' home in the Crestwood section of Yonkers to his own apartment on 81st Street in Manhattan. A Villanova graduate, he was working as an assistant equities trader at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods on the 89th floor of the south tower of the World Trade Center, ready to work his way up the ladder in the company where his father, John Duffy, was president at the time.

Terry Farrell, who played lacrosse at Hicksville (N.Y.) High School, was a member of FDNY Rescue Company 4, an elite unit specially trained to do things like extricate people from collapsed buildings. He was also a volunteer fireman near his home in Huntington, N.Y., a part-time construction contractor and a father of two. In 1993, he helped save the life of a child in Nevada by donating his bone marrow. The girl, Chantyl Peterson, read a prayer at Farrell's funeral. He was 45.

Bradley Fetchet was a youth lacrosse coach and former player at New Canaan (Conn.) High School and Bucknell University. Born in Florida and raised in Connecticut, he lived his life by this quote: “You can tell the character of man by what he does for the man who can offer him nothing.”  Fetchet's mother, Mary, founded the Voices Center for Resilience, a non-profit organization that started by providing support for the 9/11 community but has expanded to provide services to families, responders and survivors of other traumatic events. All three of her sons played lacrosse at Bucknell, including Brad, who traded equities at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods and was 24 when he died in the attacks.

Morton "Morty" Frank was a lacrosse player at Lynbrook (N.Y.) High School and Drexel University. He and his wife of one year, Jessica, had returned from a wedding in California on the day before the attack. Frank was 31.

Peter Christian Fry of Wilton, Conn., played varsity lacrosse at Curry College in Boston as well as club lacrosse on the masters level. He was a vice president of international money markets with Euro Brokers Inc. Fry was 36 and he is survived by his wife, Meredith, and their two daughters, Caley and Taylor, who were ages 3 and 6, respectively, at the time of his death.

Vincent Gallucci played lacrosse at Boonton (N.J.) High School and graduated from William Paterson College in 1986 with a degree in computer science. Every member of his 1982 high school team and their coach attended his memorial service, revealing how popular Gallucci was nearly 20 years later. Gallucci, 36, was the senior vice president of information technology at Marsh & McLennan. He and his wife, Barbara, had a son, Joseph, and daughter, Alyssa, who were 7 and 5, respectively, when he died.

Kevin Hannaford was a lacrosse player at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut, an avid skier and star soccer player. At 32, he still had a big zest for life and love of sports. He was an attentive husband and proud father who was expecting the birth of his second son when he perished on Sept. 11, 2001.  Hannaford loved skiing so much that he bought his son, Patrick, his first pair of skis when he was just 18 months old. He's also survived by his wife, Eileen.

Thomas Haskell, a lacrosse player at Seaford (N.Y.) High School, was the battalion chief for Ladder Company 132 in Brooklyn and died in the line of duty. He loved football — "God help you if you got in the way of the TV on Sundays," his sister said — and he played on the FDNY team following a college career that included stops at Wagner and St. John's. On Sept. 11‚ 2001, Haskell led his men into the south tower of the World Trade Center and assisted in the evacuation of thousands before the building collapsed. Thirty minutes later‚ Haskell's younger brother‚ Timothy, was lost in the second collapse.

Timothy Haskell, a lacrosse player at Seaford (N.Y.) High School, was a firefighter who had trained his dog, Blaze, to follow commands. "What do you do if your clothes are on fire?" (A Dalmatian, Blaze would stop, drop and roll.) "What do you do if you smell smoke?” (Blaze would crawl along the floor and touch the doorknob.) Haskell’s brother, Tom, was also a firefighter and was killed on Sept. 11, 2001. Tommy was 37. Timmy was 34.

W. Ward Haynes was a lacrosse player at Rye (N.Y.) High School and a parent coach for the community. He had just begun his new job as a broker at Cantor Fitzgerald in August 2001. He finally bought his dream car — a Porsche Boxster — the weekend before Sept. 11 and spent much of the weekend zipping around in it taking everyone for rides. Haynes, 35, shared three children with his wife, Ann.

Michael Healy, a youth lacrosse coach and father of players from Patchogue, N.Y., was an 18-year veteran of the fire department and a lieutenant with Rescue Squad 41 in the South Bronx. He died in the line of duty Sept. 11, 2001. He was 42 and survived by his wife, Theresa, and their three children.

Michael Horrocks was born in Glen Mills, Pa., and attended Hershey High School and West Chester University, where he quarterbacked the football team. He later became an officer (a pilot and flight instructor) in the U.S. Marine Corps and was co-pilot of United Airlines Flight 175, the hijacked jet that crashed into the south tower. Horrocks’ son, Mick, played at High Point.

George Howard, a police officer in the Port Authority's emergency services unit, was enjoying a day off when he heard about trouble at the World Trade Center and raced to work amidst the chaos — the same as he did in 1993, when the trade center was bombed. In his spare time, Howard volunteered for the local fire department and trained other police and fire departments in safety and rescue work. He loved coaching his two children in lacrosse. When President George W. Bush visited with families of the victims at Ground Zero, Howard's mother pressed his badge into Bush's hand. He held it up in a speech and kept it on him for the remainder of his presidency. The badge is on display at the Bush Presidential Library in Dallas.

John Iskyan was competitive and loyal, playing high school lacrosse at Manhasset (N.Y.) and becoming an avid skier and hiker at St. Michael's College in Colchester, Vt. He was a youth lacrosse coach and administrator in Wilton, Conn. He joined Cantor Fitzgerald out of college and worked his way up to partner. After the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Iskyan disliked the building. But he would not leave the firm. Iskyan, 41, was survived by his wife, Margaret, and their two children, Peter and Carolynn.

Ronnie Kloepfer, who played for Sewanaka (N.Y.) High School and Adelphi University, was a sniper police officer with the elite NYPD Emergency Services Unit. Within the tight fraternity of the New York City Police Department is an even tighter fraternity: the men who wear the blue jerseys of the department's lacrosse team, which Kloepfer founded. He coached and played for the team. The annual NYPD vs. FDNY charity lacrosse game was played after Kloepfer’s death in his honor and marked the grand opening of USA Lacrosse on the 15th anniversary of 9/11 in 2016. Survived by his wife, Dawn, and their three children, Kloepfer, 39, died trying to rescue people who were trapped in the World Trade Center. The NYPD awarded him a Medal of Honor posthumously.

Gary Koecheler, of Harrison, N.Y., was the father of Paul Koecheler, who played lacrosse at Fordham Prep (N.Y.) and Nassau Community College, and John Koecheler, who played lacrosse at Fordham Prep. Koecheler was awarded the Bronze Star in Vietnam, but few of his friends or acquaintances knew about it until his memorial service. He was not the kind of man to brag. He never even told his children what he had done to receive the medal. They still do not know.

Ryan Kohart, a defenseman for Garden City (N.Y.) High School and the University of North Carolina, was elected by his teammates to captain the Tar Heels his senior year. The team was in turmoil and in need of his positivity, his thoughtful and caring nature, his leadership skills. Kohart, 26, worked for Cantor Fitzgerald and had recently gotten engaged. He was one of four Kohart brothers to play Division I lacrosse. The Ryan Kohart Memorial Scholarship provides funds to a lacrosse player at North Carolina.

Stephen Lamantia played lacrosse at East Meadow (N.Y.) High School and Roanoke College. A big personality with a big laugh, he was the president of his fraternity in college and the self-proclaimed captain of his cul-de-sac where he lived with his wife and two young children. He was one of the few men whom the mothers on the cul-de-sac trusted to watch over the children as they moved from yard to yard. Lamantia was 38.

David Laychak, 40, was one of the 184 people who died Sept. 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. A former football player at Brown University, David became a youth coach for every sport his son Zachary played — lacrosse, basketball and baseball. Zachary Laychak has continued the legacy of his father. He was heavily involved with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, an organization for military families of the fallen, as well as Tuesday’s Children, an organization that provided support for children of 9/11 and others impacted by global terrorism.

David Leistman was memorialized in a Long Island mass that drew scores of lacrosse players. Many were in their early 40s. They had played with Leistman, an All-American midfielder at Adelphi University and previously Sewanhaka (N.Y.) High School. Many others were teenagers or younger, players whom he had coached in Garden City, N.Y. More than skills, Leistman taught love of the game and the values of competition, team work and sportsmanship. Winning was not the only thing. A bond trader and partner at Cantor Fitzgerald, Leistman, 43, was inducted into the Adelphi Hall of Fame in 2002. He had a wife, Maryclaire, and two children, Brian and Katie.

Edward Maloney III — known to all as Teddy — was born in Berlin, Germany, but was raised in Andover, Conn. While attending Proctor Academy, Maloney played varsity lacrosse and hockey. He continued playing lacrosse at New England College and hockey for the Rye Rangers of Rye, N.Y. In November 2002, Proctor dedicated the Maloney Memorial Ice Rink to his memory. Maloney, 32, left behind a wife and daughter; his second daughter was born three months after his death.

George Morrell, 47, of Mt. Kisco, N.Y, a father of players from Bedford/Greenwich, Conn., was a partner and vice president of the mortgage department at Cantor Fitzgerald. He and his wife, Roberta, had four children. They hosted an annual Thanksgiving Day party that in his honor has grown to include upward of 50 guests in a large barn on the family's property.

Eamon McEneaney, known as Cornell's “Wild Irish Rose,” was a lacrosse legend and an American hero who led 63 people to safety during the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. A star lacrosse player at Sewanhaka (N.Y.) High School, Cornell University and for the LI Hofstra and North Hempstead lacrosse clubs, McEneaney is a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a loving husband, the father of four children and was a senior vice president at Cantor Fitzgerald when the planes struck the World Trade Center's north tower. McEneaney played for the U.S. National Team in 1978. Also a profound and accomplished poet, he was 46 when he died.

Stacey Sennas McGowan of Basking Ridge, N.Y., was a lacrosse player at Nyack High School and Boston College and the mother of two young daughters. "Hers was a hug that would essentially render every other hug you'll ever receive in your life a complete insult to hugging," said her friend, Patrick Corry, in a eulogy. The spirit of “Staciness” endures in the Nyack lacrosse community in the form of the annual Stacey Sennas McGowan Memorial Games.

Frank McGuinn was the father of a women's lacrosse player and a youth coach from Greenwich, Conn. Though slightly too young to be drafted into the Vietnam War, he badly wanted to volunteer. His parents talked him out of it, yet he regretted not having served. If he were alive after the 9/11 attacks, his wife, Lynn, is confident he would have gone to Afghanistan to serve in the war against terrorism. McGuinn was 48.

Rob McLaughlin, a defensive midfielder at Lehigh University in the early 1990s, died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The man they called “Eagle McLaughlin” had endless heart and hustle. McLaughlin, 29, was the vice president of emerging markets at Cantor Fitzgerald. He left behind his wife, Liz, and a young son, Nicholas, who was 10 months old at the time.

William Minardi was the father of lacrosse players from New Bedford, N.Y. He lived 48 hours in a day, never wanting to miss anything, according to his wife, Stephanie. His favorite team was University of Louisville basketball, coached then by his best friend and brother-in-law Rick Pitino. They had known each other since high school.

Jim Munhall was the husband of Susan, a former lacrosse player at Montclair (N.J.) High School and current women's lacrosse official from Ridgewood, N.J., and devoted father to their daughter, Lauren. Munhall would spend every Saturday, renamed "Dad-urday," with her getting bagels, teaching her to read sports stats in the newspaper and riding bikes. He enjoyed his job at Sandler O'Neill & Partners, an investment banking firm, where he was a managing director on the 104th floor of 2 World Trade Center,

Robert Noonan was a lacrosse player for Greenwich (Conn.) High School and Portland LC who lived in Rowayton, Conn., with his wife, Dana, and son, Chance. He was a broker for Cantor Fitzgerald. He was 36.

Brian Novotny was a Le Moyne lacrosse alum and a bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald. He always got to work early and often stayed late. Although his life was cut short at 33, his spirit lives on. He often spoke fondly of being the grandson of Irish-American immigrants and working in a building with a view of the Statue of Liberty. Novotny was one of eight siblings.

Rick O'Connor played high school lacrosse in Watertown, N.Y., and at Clarkson University. A descendant of dirt farmers in upstate New York, he was fiercely proud that he went from dirt to sky when he became a senior vice president for Marsh & McLennan on the 100th floor of the World Trade Center. He was 49.

Sean O'Neill, 34, was an equities trader at Cantor Fitzgerald and expecting his first child in October 2001 with his wife, Holly. He never got to meet his daughter, Lauren. O'Neill played lacrosse at Rye (N.Y.) High School.

Peter O’Neill Jr. graduated from Holy Trinity (N.Y.) High School and played lacrosse at Bentley College. He lived in Amityville, N.Y., and was 21 years old when he died. O’Neill worked for Sandler O’Neill & Partners and was a volunteer firefighter in Amityville.  He intended to become an emergency medical technician.

Peter Ortale, a bond broker at Euro Brokers, was often playing lacrosse when not working or sending thoughtful presents for no reason. Ortale was one of the best players on his high school team in Philadelphia and at Duke University. After he graduated, he played in Australia. Once he began his career, he continued to play for the New York Athletic Club and in various leagues on weekends.

Thomas Anthony Palazzo, who lived in Armonk, N.Y., coached youth lacrosse and golfed, skied and snowboarded. An avid boater, water-skier and fisherman, he whisked his wife, Lisa, and three daughters off to Nantucket every summer.

Durrell “Bronko” Pearsall, 34, was a member of the New York Fire Department’s Rescue 4 in Queens. He always dreamed of becoming a fireman. At 6-2, 285 pounds, Pearsall could bench press 455 pounds with ease. He played for LIU’s lacrosse team.

Chris Quackenbush was a youth lacrosse coach in Manhasset, N.Y. He combined high values with the ability to inspire others to act for the good, was a wise businessman and a counselor who thrived on sharing his wealth. He created the Jacob Marley Foundation, which provides scholarships and programs for poor children on Long Island. Quackenbush, 44, went to North Carolina and donated generously to his alma mater, including the then-nascent women’s lacrosse program. The locker room at UNC is named after him. He was survived by his wife, Tracy, and three children, Whitney, C.J. and Kelsey.

Donald Robertson, a lacrosse player at Columbia (N.J.) High School, Lynchburg and Montclair State, eventually coached youth lacrosse in Maplewood, N.J., for his four children. Although Robertson had a shamrock tattoo, he never made it to Ireland. His mother took his ashes from Ground Zero to an ancient burial ground in Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland. Robertson was 35.

Ronald J. Ruben did not mind getting his hands dirty. A former lacrosse player at Montclair High School in New Jersey, when Ruben was not trading equities on Wall Street, he was fixing old cars or building toy boxes, tables and chairs. He was a people person and children loved him. As a memorial, family and friends had a Habitat for Humanity house built in Ruben’s name. He was 36.

Jonathan S. Ryan was a lacrosse player at Herrick (N.Y.) High School and Stony Brook University. Ryan, 32, worked at Euro Brokers and lived in Bayville on Long Island. He was looking forward to the birth of his second child — and first son — on Oct. 2, 2001.

John "Pepe" Salerno Jr. played lacrosse at St. John's and for North Hempstead Lacrosse Club. Pepe, a childhood nickname inspired by his superabundance of pep, was loyal, funny and generous. Salerno knew what he wanted. He wanted a family and was expecting his first child in March 2002. He was a broker at Cantor Fitzgerald.

Michael San Phillip was a lacrosse player at the University of Pennsylvania. Though he had catapulted himself to vice president at Sandler O'Neill & Partners, an investment house on the 104th floor at 2 World Trade Center, the title he craved was that of grandfather. He was expecting his first grandchild in December 2001.

John Schroeder was a lacrosse player at Princeton, Duke and TOBAY Lacrosse. Everyone at Princeton knew him as “Stinky.” The nickname was applied when he visited the campus as a high school lacrosse recruit. It stuck as John played lacrosse for clubs while he worked on Wall Street; he joined Fred Alger Management as an equity trader in July 2001. Schroeder, who helped Princeton win its first NCAA championship in 1992, was 31 when he died.

Michael Simon was a lacrosse player at Rye (N.Y.) Country Day and Hobart College. A sportsman whose passions rubbed off on his three children, he set aside time to coach the soccer teams of all three children and a fourth squad. Though lacrosse and hockey had been Simon’s activities in college, golf and tennis were his weekend-warrior pursuits after graduating to Wall Street. His dream was to start a lacrosse league in Harrington Park, N.J., where he and his wife lived. He had not yet made it come true, but he was only 40; he imagined he would get around to it.

Peter Siracuse was a leading scorer for the Bethpage (N.Y.) High School football team in the late 1980s and a lacrosse midfielder who won 15 of 17 faceoffs in a single game. Long Island coaches voted him to the All-Nassau-County team in 1990. After college, he worked as a high school history teacher and lacrosse coach before becoming a broker for Cantor Fitzgerald.

Paul Skrzypek of Little Falls, N.J., was a lacrosse player at Montville High School, Kutztown State and for Shearson LC. Skrzypek was constantly in motion: he ran with the bulls in Pamplona, he completed the Chicago Triathlon and the New York Marathon, and he rollerbladed, biked and skied his way through the changing seasons. The only things he would sit still for were New York sporting events. 

Donald F. Spampinato Jr. was a lacrosse player from Manhasset, N.Y., and a youth coach there. In very good condition, he once qualified for the Iron Man triathlon in Hawaii and had completed a triathlon at Point Lookout on Long Island on Sept. 8, 2001. He left behind a wife and three children.

Robert Andrew Spencer was an all-state lacrosse player and one of the leading scorers in the state during his senior year at St Joseph's High School in Metuchen, N.J. After high school, Andy attended the University of Maryland, where he became President of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and he was a huge supporter of Terrapin lacrosse. Andy had a great personality, a constant smile on his face, and he lived every day to the fullest. He left behind a wife and three young children. In a celebration of life, Andy's wife held his memorial service and the baptism of their one-month old son on the same day.

Andrew Stergiopoulos, 23, of New York City, was a player at Great Neck H.S. and an employee of Cantor Fitzgerald. 

Richard H. Stewart Jr. graduated from The Lawrenceville School in 1985, where he played lacrosse for two years. He went on to play Division I hockey at St. Lawrence, where he was part of a team that won the ECAC and played in the national championship game.

John Swaine was a player at Garden City H.S., New York Maritime and Sound Shore Lacrosse Club, as well as a youth coach from Larchmont, N.Y. Aggressive and full of boundless energy, he worked at Cantor Fitzgerald for about 10 years.

Eric "Rick" Thorpe played lacrosse at Phillips Exeter Academy (N.H.) and Lafayette College. His booming voice, competitiveness and self-assurance helped Thorpe become the star quarterback of his undefeated high school football team. But he kept business success in perspective. He helped run a soup kitchen during college, served as a Big Brother and participated in Hands Together, an anti-poverty program in Haiti. He left behind a wife and daughter at age 35.

Walter P. "Wally" Travers was a youth lacrosse coach from Upper Saddle River, N.J. If one of his three kids played a sport, he coached it — even soccer, which he did not really like or understand. Travers had a way of putting both the children and their parents at ease, always getting down on one knee and looking the kid in the eye.

John Damien Vaccacio played lacrosse at Holy Trinity (N.Y.) High School and continued at Hartwick College. He lived in New York City and was 30 years old. He was employed by Cantor Fitzgerald.

Frederick Varacchi was a youth lacrosse coach from Greenwich, Conn., the COO of Cantor Fitzgerald and president of its electronic trading platform eSpeed. A dedicated family man, Varacchi would schedule a 6 a.m. tee time on Saturdays so he could be home before his three kids woke up.

John Vigiano, 36, was a man who enjoyed life. A member of the New York Fire Department, he was a former lacrosse player and Eagle Scout. His son, John, would later follow in his footsteps on the lacrosse field. His brother, Joseph, was also killed in the attacks.

Joseph Vigiano, 34, was killed on 9/11 while attempting to rescue victims trapped in the World Trade Center. One of the NYPD’s most decorated officers, he had been shot and wounded three times in his 14-year career. His brother, John, also died in the attacks. He was honored posthumously with the New York City Police Department’s Medal of Honor.

Glen James Wall was a lacrosse player at Lynbrook (N.Y.) High School and Johns Hopkins University. He had a zest for life and did everything for his two young daughters. A poem from his nieces read at his memorial service: His piggyback rides and dances/Had everyone waiting for a turn/Music from our hands/Was just one thing he helped us learn/But the most important thing he taught us/Was to live life on the “Bright Side of the Road”/And enjoy it while you can/You'll always be in our hearts and minds/Our uncle, our friend, Glen.

Kenneth Watson Sr. was the father of C.W. Post player Ken Watson Jr. Watson, 39, was a firefighter with the New York Fire Department from Smithtown, N.Y.

Glenn Wilkinson played lacrosse at Levittown Memorial (N.Y.) Memorial High School and Hofstra University and was a Suffolk County lacrosse official. Wilkinson, of Bayport, N.Y., was a lieutenant firefighter with the New York Fire Department.