The Apple Orchard: My 2,996 honoree, Frank H. Brennan

The Apple Orchard

musings, chronicles, commentaries, bitchins & ramblins of a lost, but lovin 40 somethin year old soul...come take a bite

Saturday, September 09, 2006

My 2,996 honoree, Frank H. Brennan

The 5 year anniversary of September 11th, 2001 is quickly approaching. It was a day of one of our nation’s greatest tragedies, but also showed the triumph of good over evil. To honor the lives and memories of the 2,996 who were lost on that day, 2,996 bloggers have joined to share a tribute for each of the victims.

At 6 feet 7 inches tall Francis Henry Brennan could fill any room. But it was not just his stature that set him apart, he was good-natured, funny and generous.

The oldest of 6 children, he was larger than life to his younger brothers. He has a soft hook shot that catapulted him to a starring role on the St. Agnes H.S. baketball team in Rockville Center, NY in the late 60's.

Frank was a loving husband to his wife. He lived in Oak Beach, NY while working for Cantor Fitzgerald as a senior vice president and limited partner; he was a securities broker at Cantor for about 10 years in New York City based firm.

Cantor Fitzgerald is a brokerage firm that occupied the 101st through 105th floors of One World Trade Center (the North Tower), just below the famed "Windows on the World" restaurant. The tower was the first hit - at 8:46am - and according to Wikipedia, the floors of impact were the 93rd through 99th. This means that most likely, Frank was on a floor above the impact and had no way to escape. Those victims in such hopeless situations as his (along with the passengers in the planes) were the ones who have haunted me the most over the years.

Frank was at work on that sunny 9-11 morning in his office. He was trapped alongside 700 other Cantor Fitzgerald employees. Frank died at the age of 50 on 9-11 while in the World Trade Center.

Rest in Peace...Frank H. Brennan

In Memory

What was it you had said?
Why did you have to go?
Each simple little memory
Now passes by so slow.
I am stuck in the yesterday
Not wanting to accept
The horrid truth that you are gone
Your life taken without threat
This morning you awoke
To face a brand new day
But a cold-hearted terrorist
Took that gift away
Though the grave cry for the lost
In the settling of the dust
They failed to shake our foundation
For in God we put our trust.

posted by MsApples @ 3:25:00 PM

1 Comments:

At 3:08 PM, Jake said…

Wow - a wonderful tribute to Frank. Very well written and the photographs are worth a thousand words. There are just too many stories - too many individuals with such outstanding lives.

Also, don't forget about Timothy Aaron Haviland