Livingston Honors Sept. 11 Victims at 23rd Annual Remembrance Ceremony

LIVINGSTON, NJ — Hundreds of Livingston residents recently attended Livingston’s 23 ^rd Annual 9/11 Ceremony of Remembrance held at the 9/11 Living Memorial Garden adjacent to the Livingston Memorial Oval, where several community members — including the teenage niece of one of Livingston’s own 9/11 victims — stressed the significance of continuing to commemorate the tragic events of that.

“I'm always overwhelmed by the support of our community here for this ceremony,” said Livingston Mayor Al Anthony. “Many towns have cancelled their commemorations of this tragic event, but here in Livingston, we have continued. We in town understand it's important to honor the victims whose lives were cut short, support our victims’ families, and keep the patriotism alive that we all felt in those months that followed.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE TAPINTO.NET NEWSLETTER

Livingston High School history teacher Ernie Cuneo, who has his United States History students write an essay reflecting on 9/11 and selects a winning entry each year, also emphasized the importance of carrying on the memory of Sept. 11, 2001, before introducing senior Taylor Dzama as this year’s student speaker.

As the niece of John Pocher, one of seven Livingston residents whose lives were lost in the attacks, Dzama is a student whose reflection Cuneo said he has been anticipating for several years.

Dzama shared that although she wasn’t born yet, the events of Sept. 11, 2001, have had a significant impact on her life and will forever be remembered as the day she lost the uncle she would never have the chance to meet.

“Unfortunately, I was never lucky enough to meet him, but his memory lives on through the stories my family has shared and the constant effort they make every day to honor his memory,” she said. “I've come to understand the fun, brave, funny and intelligent person that he was. I feel his presence in the values he stood for and in the love my family continues to share…His memory lives on in our hearts, and today, I stand here by my own community not just to remember him, but to honor all the heroes and innocent lives lost.”

DOWNLOAD THE FREE TAPINTO APP FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS. AVAILABLE IN THE APPLE STORE AND THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE .

Dzama called upon her neighbors to continue to remember those lost in the attacks as well as those who came together in the face of adversity on that day and in the days that followed.

“We saw the courage of the firefighters and first responders who rushed into danger to save others; we saw resilience in the survivors who found strength in the midst of devastation; and we saw a spirit of unity that reminds us all what it means to be part of something bigger than ourselves,” she said.

She also reflected on her family’s annual visits to the 9/11 Memorial in New York City and the lessons she brings home from this experience each year.

“I remember the first time I was allowed to go into the city of the 9/11 Memorial with my family,” she said. “If you had asked sixth grade me, I would probably say I was excited to get out of school for the day, take the train and definitely to go to the top of the Freedom Tower. Because what else could a little girl ask for? But now, the thing that amazes me the most on 9/11 is the effort each of the families put in to honor their own family members. They decorate T-shirts and posters and pins, and everyone sits in front of a stage where they read the names and wait sometimes all day just to hear their family members’ names.

“Seeing this year after year is the thing that has had the greatest impact on me and has taught me the importance of cherishing the people we love, standing up against hatred and never taking our freedoms for granted. 9/11 has taught us that even in the darkest of times, there is light, and that this light comes from our shared humanity, our compassion, and our determination to rebuild and move forward. So tonight, I am honored to be in the company of all of you to allow our community to take a moment to reflect, to honor those we've lost, and to express our gratitude for the sacrifices made by so many.”

Other notables in attendance for this year’s ceremony were members of the Livingston Board of Education, Livingston Township Manager Barry Lewis, Sen. John McKeon, a representative from Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill’s, members of Livingston’s police and fire departments and more.

During his earlier remarks, Mayor Anthony thanked Corinne Judge from Livingston’s Recreation & Senior Services department for spearheading the township’s 9/11 Ceremony of Remembrance and the volunteers who continue to maintain the 9/11 Memorial Garden situated at the Livingston Memorial Oval.

He also recognized members of Livingston’s Boy and Girls Scout troops for assisting with the placing of the roses on the memorial in honor of Livingston’s fallen, resident Tim Griffin for his trumpet rendition of “Taps,” and the Livingston High School Chamber Choir for serenading the crowd at the start and conclusion of the event.

A short biography of each Livingston resident who died in the attacks can be seen below.

Remembering Livingston's Fallen Residents

Ming-Hao Liu — “A Teacher at Heart” — Age 41

Education: Liu studied at the Cheng-Kung University in Taiwan. In 1985, he pursued a master’s degree in civil engineering at Rutgers University.

Career: Liu worked for Washington Group International helping to design the Monorail at Newark International Airport as well as a new airport transportation system for JFK Airport. He worked on the reconstruction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Line. He was the senior staff engineer.

Liu was on the 91st floor of Two World Trade Center when the building was struck by a hijacked airplane. While other employees of the firm were able to make it to safety, Liu did not.

Personal Memories: Liu and his wife had two sons, Allen, 2, and Austin, 7. Liu was the principal of the very successful Livingston Chinese School. Much to the disappointment of his sons, instead of bringing them gifts (which he had already purchased) after a trip to Taiwan, he found 50 textbooks for his school. He left the gifts for his sons with his mother-in-law because they couldn’t fit in his suitcase.

“It’s not for himself; it’s always for other people. He wants to make things good," said Liu’s wife, who remembers him as a caring man with an inquisitive mind and leadership qualities.

Joseph P. McDonald — “Brainy, Brawny, Balanced” —Age 43

Education: Born in Brooklyn, McDonald was a Livingston resident since 1989. He was a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. In high school, he was a standout in baseball and basketball. Later on in college, rugby was added to his sports resume.

Career: McDonald worked for many years as a broker of financial services for Garvin, Guybutler Ltd. and Garban LCC before joining Cantor Fitzgerald. He was at work at the World Trade Center and died with many other associates in the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.

Personal Memories: For most of his life, McDonald was known as an outstanding athlete with an intellectual understanding of how to be a winner. In his later years, he changed his focus from clients to his wife, Denise, and his daughters, Kathleen and Brigid, as well as his parents, Joseph and May. Weekends were spent hiking and being part of the girls’ soccer and softball games.

“His athleticism was God-given, and he had a good time with it, but it didn’t define his life,” said his father. “What defined his life was his marriage and fatherhood.”

Luke A. Dudek — “Wine and Flowers” — Age 50

Education: Luke grew up in Livingston and graduated from Fairleigh Dickenson in 1973 with a degree in psychology, majoring in organizational management and quantitative analysis.

Career: Dudek was proud of his position as food and beverage comptroller for the prestigious Cellars in the Sky and Windows of the World restaurants in the World Trade Towers.

Personal Memories: Working with his life partner, George A. Cuellar, Dudek was in the process of extending their flower business, Conqui Design Inc., to its own building in Cedar Grove. After taking a week’s vacation completing the renovations, Luke went back to work in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. He died in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Jeffrey Brian Gardner — “He Always Seized the Day” — Age 36

Education: Gardner was a graduate of Livingston High School and Rutgers University.

Career: Gardner was an environmental insurance broker who worked for Marsh and McLennan. He also found great joy in his work as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. He built houses on his vacations and weekends in Newark, Honduras and Brazil. He described his “great days” when he saw the excitement of the faces of the new homeowners.

Personal Memories: Gardner had a sizable tattoo of the sun on his ankle. His family said Gardner believed, “there are no bad days, only good days and great days. There is always sunshine.” Gardner was described as a big kid whose “toys” included two motorcycles and power tools. He also read the Torah, the New Testament and the Quran. According to family and friends, Gardner embraced life with all his strength.

Donald Thomas Jones II — “Brimming with Confidence” — Age 38

Education: Jones attended Collins Elementary School and Heritage Junior High School and graduated from Newark Academy, where he excelled. After graduating from the University of Richmond in Virginia, he began his career at Cantor Fitzgerald.

Career: Jones began working at Cantor Fitzgerald at the bond desk. His brother, Will, said Jones was a “consummate salesman,” which explains how during his 17 years of the brokerage firm he rose through the ranks to become a partner. During the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, he helped a pregnant woman down the stairs—a journey that took 2 ½ hours.

Personal Memories: Jones spotted Michele Ramirez on her first day of work at Cantor Fitzgerald and immediately declared he would marry her. They were married a year later and had two children: a daughter, Taylor, and then a son, Donnie. A true family man, Jones would race home from the office to play catch with Taylor and work with his son on his mountain bike. He taught his children his favorite Aerosmith songs and how to play Blackjack.

“There’s no Go Fish happening in this house,” said Jones, who was the son of Judith and Donald, a former Livingston police chief.

On a mountain bike trek with his best friend, Jim Borkan, Jones stopped by a sun-dappled pond, smiled at the scene and said, “I love my life.”

Kenneth Albert Zelman — “Family First” — Age 37

Education: Zelman graduated from Livingston High School and Rider University.

Career: Zelman was a software consultant for Oracle Corp and had been working for a year at Marsh and McLennon on the 99th floor of the North Tower. He was known to arrive early and stay late, but Zelman’s big thing was his family. As he was leaving for the train to NYC on Sept. 11, 2001, Zelman’s 14-month-old son was blowing kisses to his daddy.

Personal Memories: Weekends were always set aside for fancy outings to crafts festivals, the zoo and ice cream parlors. The family’s August vacation was spent on Long Beach Island, where Zelman spent hours building sand castles.

Zelman’s daughter Olivia, 4, was a “Daddy’s Girl.” According to family members, Zelman and Olivia would make up stories to tell each other as he put her to bed. It was her routine to throw her arms around him when he walked in the door after work and call out, “Daddy’s Home!”

John Michael Pocher — “A Details Guy” — Age 36

Education: Pocher grew up in Livingston and graduated from Seton Hall Preparatory School, Seton Hall University and Fairleigh Dickenson University.

Career: As a bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald, Pocher was known for his ability to play close attention to detail. He was always aware of when and where bonds in his sector were trading.

Personal Memories: John is described by his wife Laura A. Grygotis, MD, as a very thoughtful person who was loving and devoted. They enjoyed traveling as well as spending “quiet time” together. Vacationing at the Jersey Shore was also a favorite destination.

For more local news, visit TAPinto.net