Charles, Leslie, Zoe & Dana Falkenberg

Charles and Leslie boarded American Airlines Flight 77 with their two daughters, Zoe & Dana, en route to Canberra, Australia, for what family members said was a dream, working vacation. Leslie, who was an associate professor at Georgetown was going for a short stint as a visiting fellow at Australian National University at Canberra. She was bringing her family down under for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. They had just moved out of their home, in fact they spent their last few days before 9/11 in a hotel, and upon their return to the states, were moving into a new house in Chevy Chase.

To help cope with the grief of losing an entire family, the girl’s grandparents have asked people who wish to remember the Falkenbergs, to plant Zinnias, Zoe’s favorite flower.

Years ago, my family and I planted zinnias under an arch of jasmine. Each year they bloom stronger, larger, and more beautiful than before…

You will always be in my thoughts & prayers.

Years ago, my family & I moved from Los Angeles to Raleigh.  Instantly we became involved with our community & as such…we came to become part of the Muccio family.  Rob was like a father to me & D, beloved Uncle Rob to the kids.  Lou became my brother, Deb a mom & friend.

I also gained a whole other family…and instantly became directly connected to 9/11.

Every morning, Mark Zangrilli would get ready for work and kiss his wife and two sons good-bye, being careful not to wake them as he left for work in New York City.

Every evening, he would call his wife, Jill, around 7 p.m. from the Lincoln Park train station to let her know he was on his way home.

“We would always wait for him by the door,” Jill said. “Every day was a celebration.”

But on Sept. 11, everything fell out of routine.

Mark had an early meeting scheduled and was rushing around the house getting ready. His sons, Alexander, 3, and Nicholas, 11/2, were awake and upset that he was leaving, so he sneaked out of the house without saying good-bye.

“It was the first time in 14 years he didn’t get to say good-bye,” Jill said.

Mark, 36, of Pompton Plains, died in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center. He was attending a meeting at Aon Corp. at Two World Trade Center when a hijacked plane hit the tower.

Mark, who worked for AXA Corporate on Water Street, left a message on the answering machine after the first plane hit.

“He said they were going to start evacuating the 105th floor and he would call me soon as he got down,” Jill said.

More than 80 family members and friends scoured hospitals and lists of survivors on the Internet looking for Mark with no success, Jill said.

Mark was born in Passaic and raised in Pequannock before moving to Lincoln Park 14 years ago. The family moved to Pompton Plains in January.

Mark graduated from the New Jersey Institute of Technology with a chemical engineering degree in 1987. He worked as an insurance underwriter for Kemper National Insurance Co. at the World Trade Center for 12 years. He helped evacuate several employees out of their office after the 1993 bombing in the Trade Center basement.

“His former co-workers have sent e-mails talking about how well he handled it,” Jill said. “He was the last one off the floor.”

Mark’s weekends were dedicated to his family, taking his sons everywhere with him to run errands.

I never knew Mark.  But Rob, Deb & Lou spoke of his kindness and faithfulness to everyone.  At Rob’s funeral earlier this year, I met my “extended family” and they too remarked on how wonderful he was.

I wish we could have known you.

For Mark, Zoe & Dana…