Brian Williams, age 29
Brian Williams, native of Edgewood, KY, has
become a legend in in my hometown. A
graduate of St. Pius X grade school and Covington Catholic High School, Brian
was well liked and respected by his classmates and many friends. Some thoughts shared about him include:
“Brian was such a great guy, I don't think there
was ever a time when there was not a smile on his face!”
“I remember going to the Williams
house for Kenny's famous chili! Brian will always hold a very special place in
my heart! The day my sister died Brian called me from Columbia University to
let me know he was thinking about me and praying for me. It touched me so much!
He was such a great friend!!”
“Brian
really had a zest for life,” his father said. “He worked very, very hard, but
he also was able to enjoy life. He really cared about other people.” Williams recalled the first weekend of
Brian’s freshman year. “My wife and I
got up and went downstairs about 7:30 on a Saturday morning and there’s Brian
studying already and he’d only been in high school.”
Brian excelled in
academics and athletics and was a "That's My Boy" award winner, given
by northern Kentucky football coaches to the best scholar-player- leader (a
prize now named after him). Brian was a 3 sport athlete in high school and the
football team captain. Back when
Williams played for Cov-Cath, a little 9-year-old boy named Joe Danneman was in
the stands, to witness Williams, make a huge play.
"1989 he was a star tight end at Covington Catholic High
School," said Danneman, recounting the game as if it was yesterday.
"It was a Friday night, traditional season opener, it was always Cov-Cath
versus Boone County, Cov-Cath's down a point late in the game, they have one
person to go to, it's Brian Williams, the star tight end, catches a pass, goes
30 or 40 yards to the following end zone, the south end zone at Boone County
High School. It was a rainy night and Brian Williams was the hero."
The
school honored his number 81 Friday night at their football game versus Boone
County.
Columbia
University recruited him for football. In New York, he acted as unofficial
tourist bureau for visiting Kentuckians.
As a college
senior, Brian Williams used his was given a credit card by his father for
emergencies. Brian used the card to pay
a bar bill for three cash-strapped buddies. He sent a check to repay his
father, with a note explaining the charge. "Three of us walked into a bar
and none of us had any money. I figured
that was an emergency," the note said.
In September 2001, Brian
Williams, 29, worked as a bond trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, with the ultimate
plan of returning to the Cincinnati area near his family's home in Edgewood.
As
the Williams family got Brian's affairs in order, they also discovered that
he'd been very generous to a number of charitable organizations in the New York
area.
"One
was a Native American school for Native American children and then the other
was an organization that sent inner-city kids down in Manhattan out to camps
for a week of summer fun outside of Manhattan," Williams said. "He
had been doing that for several years."
Some
tributes from Legacy.com for Brian:
“I
just wanted to let you know how much I looked up to you for your ability to
handle yourself so well. Moreover, you always treated everyone you came across
with kindness and respect. I am glad I chose someone like you as a role
model...I am a better person for knowing you.
Please look after all of us down here, because we look up to you now
more than ever!”
~ Jim
Danneman
“I,
like many others, met Willy during my brief time at Columbia University. As
football teammates, we had many good times on the field (even if we weren't
often victorious); but I was blessed to share many good times off the field
with Brian as well.
After I transferred from Columbia, I returned to the campus and coincidentally ran into a group of guys that included Brian. Even after two years away, Brian's friendship shone through as we chatted about all that had happened in the interim. At one point, as others in the group sought to leave (as all of them were headed to catch a plane), Brian softly reminded them that "there'll be other flights." My girlfriend at the time remarked specifically about what a fantastic guy Brian was.
I met many terrific people at Columbia, but few (if any) were as genuinely friendly and caring as Brian. I mourn his death, but celebrate his life and all that it stands for.
After I transferred from Columbia, I returned to the campus and coincidentally ran into a group of guys that included Brian. Even after two years away, Brian's friendship shone through as we chatted about all that had happened in the interim. At one point, as others in the group sought to leave (as all of them were headed to catch a plane), Brian softly reminded them that "there'll be other flights." My girlfriend at the time remarked specifically about what a fantastic guy Brian was.
I met many terrific people at Columbia, but few (if any) were as genuinely friendly and caring as Brian. I mourn his death, but celebrate his life and all that it stands for.
Brian
will never be forgotten. “
-Mike
Murray
San Antonio, TX
San Antonio, TX
Kenneth
Williams Sr., a man who has lost two sons — Kenneth Jr., who died in 1994 after
three years in a coma caused by a fall, and Brian, now, with the 9/11 memorial
completed Williams wishes he had one more chance to see and talk to his sons.
He
said he'd give Kenny a bear hug and tell him he loved him. The same goes for
Brian, but the father would like to ask the son what happened in the chaos that
followed the plane hitting the North Tower.
"I
would like to know how he felt and how he was," Williams said.
Now
that 10 years have come and gone, some people fear America has become
complacent about homeland security. To
counter that possibility, Williams said he wishes that video of the towers
being attacked was shown every morning as a reminder that the people who
perpetrated the act are still out there.
“They
want to do that again,” he said. “I think sometimes we need to look at that
film – that and the Pentagon and Pennsylvania -- and say, ‘Hey! Look at what
they tried to do and they’re going to try it again and again and again.’”
“We
ought to wake up to it every day,” Williams stated.
Out of respect for Brian’s father’s wishes, here
is a video of footage from that day.
2,996 people perished in the attacks on September 11, 2001. Each one has their own story. Some short, some long, some extraordinary, some ordinary. Each priceless and precious in their own way. Share their stories today, honor their lives. If you have a tribute to make, post it at the 2996 Project.
God Bless the USA and God Bless the World.
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