Since Sept. 11, scores of well wishers have packed the small Staten Island home of Gerard Barbara, assistant chief of the New York Fire Department. Mr. Barbara’s wife and two children recognize many of the faces, but not all of them. In an odd twist, they end up consoling some of the visitors, who appear lost. Many just want to hang on to any memory of the chief, who was widely respected and loved for his humanitarian spirit, said his wife, Joanne.
“People I’ve never seen before are saying, ‘You don’t understand, I loved your dad,’ ” said a son, Paul, 23. “I say, I do understand, he was my dad!’ ”
Mr. Barbara, 53, a 31-year veteran of the Fire Department, was one of the city’s highest-ranking supervisors. He was walking toward the lobby of the second trade center tower when the building collapsed.
Paul said that when he and his sister, Caren, were growing up, they had no idea that their father was an important member of the Fire Department, because he was just a dad who was wild about the Yankees.
Caren said: “If the terrorists think they have won, they haven’t. This whole thing just drove my dad deeper into our hearts. He died doing one of the things he liked best, trying to save people.”
The letter below was written by Joanne Barbara in memory of her husband of 30 years, Gerard Barbara:
“To my Sweetie:
If my life was like a book, it would start as a love story between two teen-agers. A couple that grew up together, that had good values and commitment, but with a thirst for adventure and fun. They became parents who gave roots as well as wings to their children. He became a Dad that loved his kids so much that he reluctantly encouraged them to leave home and start adventures of their own.
Then there was a time for them to be a couple again and enjoy simple pleasures. A time for him to reap his fruits of labor. All those years of working and studying to rise up through the ranks. A time for them to enjoy a different stage of life.
The fiction begins on September 11, because no one could even imagine that horror and destruction. So many lives destroyed. So many couples that will never have the life we did for 30 years. My heart breaks for them as well.
My life has started a different chapter now. My life without my companion, my friend, my love. My life without him beside me but always in my heart.
I am the widow of Citywide Tour Commander Gerard Barbara, Incident Commander of Tower No. 2, never recovered.
Every minute of every day my heart aches for my sweetie, and somehow I am trying to fulfill the dreams that we had for our children Caren and Paul.
But now I’m doing it alone.
Love Always,
Me!”
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This has been part of the 2996 project. To see a list of participants, GO HERE.
I would also like to thank Dale Roe, the Administrator of the blog project 2,996 where I was randomly assigned to remember via blog Gerard A. Barbara. Go see who else remembered the rest…
On September 11, 2006,
We will honor them by remembering their lives,
Raggedy Says:
September 11th, 2006 at 3:57 pmVisit Raggedy
Wonderful Tribute!
Thank you.
These are sad and hard to read….
I am honored to be a part of this project.
Mine is posted also…
The 2996 link is down. I have a new link on my site to view the participants.
Bless you…
DM Says:
September 12th, 2006 at 8:17 amVisit DM
Thanks so much for this. I have posted my tribute as well. Wouldn’t have known of it unless I read the info on your site. I am glad to be a part of something so incredible.
art Says:
September 12th, 2006 at 8:52 amVisit art
never forget
Cindi Says:
September 12th, 2006 at 2:23 pmVisit Cindi
Marvelous tribute.
Cindi
I am proud to honor Jay Robert Magazine and Mark Bingham on my blog.
rishi Says:
September 19th, 2006 at 11:56 pmVisit rishi
i hope things are changing. i have a good feeling about things to come.
miss you alli.