Huntington Remembers Alumni Lost on 9/11
The events of September 11, 2001 are seared into the memories of Americans who lived through those dark hours and their aftermath. The scope of death and destruction still staggers the mind. Many hearts that were broken have never healed.
The Huntington school community will always mourn the loss of the six alumni who perished at the World Trade Center, along with former Huntington students who attended elementary school in the district before enrolling at other Long Island high schools to complete their scholastic education.
Many district employees also lost loved ones that dark day, including a husband, brother and the daughter of a retired teacher. Several dozen community residents were killed in the attacks. Many worked for financial service firms that had a large presence in WTC Towers I and II while others were members of New York City's uniformed services.
Among Huntington High School's lost alumni were Susan Clyne-Dietrich (1977), Dennis Edwards (1984), Michelle Titolo (1985), Michael Desmond McCarthy (1987), Judson Cavalier (1993) and Joe Anchundia (1993). The grads left behind grieving families and friends who have never completely recovered.
Ms. Clyne-Dietrich, a graduate of C.W. Post and Touro Law School never entered a courtroom because she fell in love with computers. She worked on the 96th floor of the Tower One as senior vice-president of Marsh & McLennan, the largest insurance company in the world. The Huntington grad oversaw global software design for the firm. A married mother of three, she lived in Lindenhurst.
Mr. Edwards, 35, was a partner with bond giant Cantor Fitzgerald, working at the top of the World Trade Center. He resided in Huntington after marrying his high school sweetheart, Patti, and was the father of a 2½ year old daughter. During the 1993 bombing of the WTC he carried a pregnant woman down 80 flights of stairs, saving her life.
Following her graduation from Huntington High School, Ms. Titolo went on to earn a degree in finance from St. John's University and later obtained an MBA. She was working as an equity controller for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 101st floor of One World Trade Center when she was killed in the terrorist attack. She was 34 years old and had just settled into a new home in Copiague.
Mr. McCarthy, who turned 33 years old on September 8, 2001, was an assistant vice-president at Carr Futures, specializing in the London Stock Exchange. On September 19-11, he worked the overnight shift, 2 a.m. – 10 a.m., and was slated to leave the World Trade Center shortly after the terrorists struck. The firm was located on the 92nd floor of Tower One, two floors below the impact zone of the plane. All 68 people on the floor, including Mr. McCarthy survived the initial explosion, but a raging fire that spread to the west side of the floor prevented anyone from escaping alive.
Following Mr. McCarthy's death, his family created a scholarship at Huntington High School, presenting several awards in his memory. He is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Huntington.
Mr. Anchundia and Mr. Cavalier, a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, worked at Sandler O'Neill & Partners near the highest reaches of the WTC. The pair had been best friends since attending Flower Hill Elementary School together. They were both 26 years old and were just starting to climb the corporate ladder with the investment banking firm. On September 11, the pair was once again together, working on the 104th floor of Tower Two when a plane attacked the building.
"Although nine years have passed, it seems like only yesterday we were watching in horror as those terrible events unfolded," Superintendent John J. Finello said. "While our hearts were irreparably broken that day, we also saw true courage in action as firefighters, police and emergency service personnel risked their own lives to save the lives of others."
Over the years, individual buildings in the Huntington School District have commemorated the events of 9/11 in their own special way, ranging from collective moments of silence, touching poetry readings and written testimonials to group reflections, musical tributes and group gatherings of students, faculty and staff.
"We will never forget our alumni and the other community members who were lost that day," Mr. Finello said. "It was a time when America came together as never before."
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