2,996 Project: A Tribute to Farrell Peter Lynch

On this, the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, I am participating in a group-tribute to all those that lost their lives that fateful day five years ago. The 2,996: A Tribute to the Victims of 9/11 project has united bloggers worldwide to cover the life of each and every one of the 9/11 victims.

I was the 2,593th person to sign up and was selected to honor the legacy of Farrell Peter Lynch, a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, an investment bank specializing in bond trading.

Farrell Lynch was just 39 years old when he died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. A resident of Centerport, New York, Farrell was married to Eileen Lynch and was the father of three daughters: Katie, Meghan and Annie. He was a father, husband, son, neighbor and friend.

While looking for information about Farrell, I stumbled upon the September 11, 2001 Victims website and found the following post written by his daughter Katie:

Farrell Lynch was a great man, and I'm not just saying that because I'm his daughter. If you ask anyone who ever knew him they'll tell you how special he made them feel. He treated everyone with the same type of respect, whether it was the head of a big company or a six year old on the soccer field.

People often refer to him as like a magnet, drawing people to him wherever he went with his energy and love for life. He loved sports and hoped to retire young and coach high school basketball. He put his all into everything he did and pushed my sisters and I to do the same.

He worked hard to create a wonderful life for his family and loved nothing more than coaching CYO basketball and driving us to school late after taking us to a special breakfast. He loved taking us sledding at the nearby country club which he nicknamed "snowball hill." He loved to take us skiing in the winter (even though he was terrible at it), always saying how great it was that we got to spend that time together.

I'm a lot like my father in many ways and he related to me better than any other person in the world. He was the greatest, most giving man I've ever know and ever will know. Though it's two-and-a-half years later, I can still hear his laugh and still think some nights that he's gonna walk through the front door and give me a big hug.

This weekend as you go about your business, take a moment to remember the lives lost on 9/11 and the families of the victims who are still in mourning to this day. Also remember to be thankful that you live in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. God Bless America!