Missing Persons

Sept. 29, 2001 -- The nearly 7,000 people who died in the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 will always be remembered together -- as a group -- and fixed to the events that took them from this world.

But as time passes, we're learning more about each life that was lost that day... and the thousands and thousands of gaps they've left in the lives of others and throughout the world.

A family in Mexico lost a father who sent home parcels of clothing and shoes. There' s a family in Connecticut that's missing a great cook. Bruce Springsteen lost a fan. So did Madonna and the Backstreet Boys. And the Yankees, and the Mets and the Orioles.

Mr. Fix-It is gone. So is a banjo player. A Gaelic football player-turned-golfer who just broke 100. A grouch. A commander of a VFW Post. A baker in Queens. A card player and a woman who couldn't hold a tune, but who danced with abandon.

A New Jersey Little League team lost its coach. There's a canoeist missing from the Delaware River. The Food Network lost a viewer; so did Animal Planet. A choir lost a voice. There's a cyclist missing from Central Park.

There's a Sunday School teacher gone from his classroom in Northern Virginia. A Cub Scout Den lost its leader. A dance floor lost a man devoted to Salsa. Nephews and nieces lost an uncle who always remembered to send a card.

A vegetable garden in Brooklyn needs weeding. And there's a spread of perennials in Connecticut that needs attention. A wife lost a husband who loved to eat. There's a barbeque grill on a new patio that needs tending.

The women's gymnastics team at UC Santa Barbara lost its coach. The world lost a marathon runner, a woman famous for her hors d'oeuvres, a family historian, and a stubborn woman.

There's a DJ missing. A Scrabble player. A practical joker, and a fundraiser for Broadway Cares.

A five year-old and a three year-old are missing the guy who gave them piggy-back rides. There's an empty seat in a casino in Atlantic City. And a family is missing its black sheep.