The victims. We hear it over and over again about Sept. 11, 2001. The 2,996 victims.
The person that I am writing about, W. David Bauer, Jr., may have been a victim for one short moment of his life. But for the rest of his 45 years, he was clearly a winner. From what I have read about him, he was a player and a competitor, someone who took to the field of life with gusto and determination and who gave it all he had.
In the NY Times tribute article, it mentions that he competed in a triathlon on the weekend of Sept. 8-9, 2001 before coming home to watch his sons play football and the to grill steaks and to drink good red wine with his family and friends.
He also played football in college at Villanova. One of his friends from college said: "His nickname was "Superman" because he could catch the bullet passes of our starting quarterback, Brian Sikorski, with one hand, either hand!"
He also had a lifelong love of basketball and volleyball. His teammate Tom Dooley said "I knew David as a competitor on the basketball court when we were both well past our prime playing days...[He] was a gentleman of the highest caliber on and off the court."
In business, too, he competed and thrived. He climbed up through the ranks at Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers and Credit Suisse First Boston before becoming head of global sales for eSpeed, a division of Cantor Fitzgerald. He was one of 658 Cantor employees who died in the World Trade Center towers.
Mr. Bauer, who was 45 years old at the time of his death, was married to his wife Ginny and had three children, David, Steven and Jackie. He lived in Rumson, New Jersey.
So this is a man who lived, who really lived. He was someone who made good things happen for himself, his family and his friends. The type of hard-working, hard-playing family guy who is the backbone of our country and whom you would probably love as a neighbor.
My very best wishes to the Bauer family. I am sorry for your loss and I hope this tribute did Mr. Bauer justice.
Here is a link to the 2,996 project.
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19 comments:
I think you're keeping his memory alive for those who didn't even know him. A face in a host of people who lost their lives. Thanks.
A wonderful tribute. May we never forget Mr. Bauer and those who died on Sept. 11.
This morning on the radio i heard a tribute to one man by his ex-wife. It made me cry.
Now i am crying again.
Nice tribute.
Thanks, Mr. Bauer, for all your decency.
And thanks, Suebob, for telling us about Mr. Bauer's decency.
Thanks, Suebob for doing this.
I got goosebumps from this entry. Thank you. My heart is with his family and friends.
Suebob,
I just noticed your new subtitle. You're too funny. I too have never been married and have no kids. I tire of tv after 15 minutes and I don't even have a real job to occupy my days. So, like you, I'm an Internet junkie. Sad, ain't it?
xoxo,
Holly!
This is very nice, Sue. I'm sure his family would be touched were they to read it.
Nothing brings those of us safe in our cocoons closer to war or acts of war/terrorism than giving faces and names to those people that lost their lives.
I remember a coworker had a list of names and ages of all of the individuals that were on the flights that crashed on 9/11. I worked nights then, and I recall standing in front of this guy's half-wall one night and crying as I read the names of men, women and children that were so unlucky that day. This post makes me feel like that again, but also happy that Mr. Bauer is continuing to be remembered. Now if we could only do the same for the 45,000 Iraqi civilians that have died.
Thank you so much for sharing. I will think of him on Monday.
I honored Michael Haub, FDNY.
This is a beautiful idea and a beautiful tribute. His family would be honored and proud to know that you a stranger carry on his memory.
Thank you for helping to put a face to a tragedy that is so often too big to personalize.
can't believe it has been 5 years...
thank you.
Husband almost worked at eSpeed, but turned down the job. (I will write about that more tomorrow, though.) Mr. Bauer would have been his co-worker. I feel for his family.
I can't believe that it has been 5 years already. In some ways it seems like so many more, and in some ways it feel like yesterday.
Thanks Suebob.
Thanks for doing this.
Beautiful tribute. This project is simply amazing.
Mine is up, too. :)
Wonderful words from the heart, Suebob.
Wonderful tribute, Suebob. I've been to Rumson NJ, and it is a beautiful town. And Mr. Bauer sounds like he was a fantastic guy.
Dave was a close friend of mine. We played college football together for 4 years, weddings etc..He was a true All American... the type you only read about. There were about a dozen of us who were a band of brothers. He will always be missed. We love you Dave.. Thank you Suebob.
ralphangelo
Thank you. On the eve of 9/11, I read your blog regarding Mr. Bauer. The Bauers are close family friends, and I am particularly close with his daughter, Jackie. Mr. Bauer was a great man, with an excellent heart that his family also shares. I am lucky to be part of their lives, Mr. Bauer would be proud! Mrs. Bauer is a wonderful, strong woman. I remember sitting at the kitchen table with her shortly after 9/11 and telling her how amazing she was. To be going through what she was, a lost of her husband ( a man she had loved since third grade), but still find the strength to advocate for other families who had lost loved one; a true role model.
I know we can not live life through "what ifs" but I can not help but think about how different it would be, if only Mr. Bauer had stayed home that day as someone had asked him to...
...I will always remember Mr. Bauer and those who lost their lives on 9/11.
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