Relatives of victims of 9/11 mourn their loss

SEVERAL people who lost their loved ones in the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US two years ago yesterday joined the US Embassy  in Port-of-Spain in reflecting at a memorial service at the All Saints Anglican Church, Marli Street.

Many of them shed silent tears in what they described as a “touching service.” Over a dozen Trinidadians died when the twin towers of the World Trade Centre came crashing down at the hands of suicide terrorists. Among them were Conrad Cottoy; Rena Sam Dinoo; Joan Francis; Winston Grant; Clara Hinds; Stephen Joseph; Glenn Neblett; Jerome Nedd; Oscar Nesbeit; Anthony Portillo; Vishnoo Ramsaroop; Gormatiee Thackurdeen, Paula Morales and Bobby Mohammed.

At yesterday’s service, Ellen Cooper, Conrad Cottoy’s sister, was seen wiping away the tears as she lit a candle during the candle-lighting ceremony. Speaking to reporters afterwards, she said Conrad, who was 51, had a wife and four sons who still reside in the US. Cooper said Conrad migrated to the US in 1971. She said at the time of the tragedy, Conrad was working on the 92nd floor of the tower which was attacked first. He was an accountant at Carr Futures and his body was never recovered. She said the anniversary of the attack was always sad and painful for her and her family  — a sentiment echoed by relatives of Gormatiee Thackurdeen and Rena Sam Dinoo.

Reshma Thackurdeen, Gormatiee’s niece, told reporters her aunt was in her 30s and worked on the 94th floor of the second tower. Gormatiee lived with her mother in New York and was engaged to an Israeli. She had no children. Gormatiee, who was originally from Chaguanas, had been living in the US for over 20 years at the time of her death. Rita Kalpee, the aunt of Rena Sam Dinoo, said Rena was 26, and married with children. She worked on the 98th floor of the first tower. The relatives said other family members of the victims who lived in New York were expected to attend a similar memorial service at Ground Zero, the site of the tragedy.