PARSIPPANY — The Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills held a Ceremony in Remembrance of September 11, 2011.
The ceremony opened with Former Parsippany-Troy Hills Council President Loretta Gragnani with the Pledge of Allegiance. The National Anthem was performed by Michelle Musolino-Roberts. Exactly at 8:46 a.m., there was a moment of silence in remembrance of those killed during the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. This time marked when the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Attendees stood in solemn reflection, honoring the victims, first responders, and all those affected by the tragic events of that day. The silence was a poignant tribute to the lives lost and the enduring impact of the attacks on the nation.
Remembering the Parsippany residents we lost on 9/11:
•Martin Boryczewski, 29, was born in Passaic and grew up in Parsippany. He attended Morris Catholic High School in Denville and later Saint Peter’s College in Jersey City. He went on to play in the A and AA Minor League divisions of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers. Martin was not only a talented ballplayer but also a trader and an avid fly fisherman. He thrived on the fast pace of his trading job at the World Trade Center. Yet, every weekend, he returned to Parsippany to spend time with his family. He would also travel to Pennsylvania to visit his father, where he enjoyed spending the afternoons fishing.
•Antoinette Duger, 44, a resident of Belleville, was raised in Newark and attended Barringer High School. She worked as an operations associate for First Union for 26 years, the only company she ever worked for. Born to Italian immigrant parents, Antoinette always prioritized her family. She and her husband, Raymond, were on the verge of purchasing a new home in Parsippany. Although the commute would make her days longer, she believed it would provide her daughter, Megan with a better education.
•Jason Kyle Jacobs, 32, a business partner at Fiduciary Trust Co., Jason had a deep love for both his family and cooking. He and his wife, Jennifer, lived in Randolph, where he was born. They had a 14-month-old daughter, Zoe. Jason was passionate about cooking and subscribed to numerous food and cooking magazines. His favorite dish to make was filet mignon in a red wine-mushroom sauce wrapped in pastry dough, served with a carrot and potato puree. According to his wife, there was one dish he never grew tired of preparing: he would craft a rose from a tomato and place it on his wife’s plate.
•Michael Pescherine, 32, was a wrestler and baseball player at Parsippany High School, graduating with honors in 1987. He earned a master’s degree in business finance and became a successful bond trader with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. Michael resided with his wife, Lyn, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The couple ran the New York City Marathon together in 1999 and 2000. They were eagerly anticipating the arrival of their baby boy in March of 2002.
•Thomas H. Polhemus, 39, of Morris Plains, was raised in Bridgewater. He earned his associate degree from Raritan Valley College and worked as a computer consultant for
Accenture. Thomas shared 11 wonderful years with his beloved wife, Barbara, and they had been married 4 ½ of those years. A passionate golfer, Thomas was a dedicated member of the Delaware Water Gap Country Club.
•Maria Theresa Santillan, 27, of Morris Plains, graduated from Rutgers University’s Newark campus with a degree in biology. She had always dreamed of working in the city and landed a job at Cantor Fitzgerald. Months before, Maria became engaged to her high school sweetheart, Darren Sasso of Parsippany, after 9 ½ years together. The couple had been dating since their sophomore year and were set to be married in May 2002.
•Michael C. Sorresse, at 34, Michael was a graduate of Whippany Park High School and held a degree in business economics from Rutgers University, as well as a master’s degree in business economics from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He was vice president at Marsh USA Agencies. Michael met his wife, Catherine Naiva, through a mutual friend, and the two were married in May 2000. The couple bought a house in Morris Plains. He was a family man who would do anything for his family and friends. He also enjoyed running, biking, and hiking.
Richard Palmer Jr. speaks at Parsippany’s 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony, Sharing His Experience and Advocacy.
Richard Palmer Jr. is a retired Warden with the NYC Department of Correction. He was Deputy Warden in Command on September 11th, 2001, when the plane hit the 1st tower. Commissioner Fraser assigned Richard to lead all the uniformed personnel to assist the NYPD with the chaos in the streets outside the World Trade Center.
They were on the street below, directing pedestrians coming from the tower, when the second plane hit. Upon hearing the towers would fall, they were instructed to pull back and watched in horror from 60 Hudson St. as the Twin Towers collapsed.
Within the hour, the DOC personnel returned to Ground Zero, bringing with them generators with lights, telecommunication units, water, blankets, body bags, and everything required for a search and rescue operation. The Correction Department also staffed and ran the entire morgue operation, had Emergency Service Units at Ground Zero around the clock, and had a team at the landfill every day for 12-hour tours.
In 2008, after several major surgeries, Richard met John Feal on a bus heading to Washington D.C. to advocate for sick and dying first responders. It was the beginning of their next 11 years advocating to Congress on behalf of 9/11 First Responders. Richard personally made 100 trips to D.C. since 2008.
They were successful in getting three bills passed after over 1,300 meetings with Congress and the Senate. It was the effort and dedication of the Fealgood Foundation that precipitated the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund Bill, later renamed after James Zagroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez, in passing.
Richard continues to advocate on victims’ behalf, educate the public on the Department of Corrections’ role in the September 11th rescue and recovery, and works to preserve the memory of that tragic day so future generations will never forget.
