Remember Mary D. Stanley

I never met her; I didn't know anyone in the Towers. But today, I remember her life, I honor her so we never forget September 11, 2001 and its victims. But who was Mary Stanley? Mary D. Stanley touched many lives and was loved by many.

Mrs. Stanley had always been brave. No one knows why, but as a teenager and with just a high school diploma, she moved from the Midwest to New York where she made her home with her husband Paul, 14 years her senior. Mary was at 53 a selfless friend and wife. According to her friend at "every important occasion, there was Mary". From her guestbook:

"When my wife, Patricia and I married, you were there! As we prepared for the birth of
our first child, you gave us so many, many
baby shower gift. Thanks for the love shown to us. May God be with you, Paul, and thanks again Mary for all the love shown to us."
Harold and Patricia Hills & family,
Harold Hills (Brooklyn, NY )

"Mary gave me my very first computer over ten years ago. She sat down and taught me how to use it. She gave me software to update it when needed.You are one of God's brightest stars in the heaven. I Love You and Miss You. Shivi "
ashiviah fleming (hollis, NY )

Mary was a vice president and technical analyst at Marsh & McLennan, a firm that leased eight floors of the WTC and lost over 200 employees on 9/11. When her older husband had an embolism, she became the family breadwinner and helped her husband survive when everyone else gave him up for dead. When her friends house burned down, she was there days, nights, and weekends helping sift through debris.

Mrs. Stanley worked on WTC 1, and the eight floors her company leased were 94th through 100th, and a portion of the 93rd floor. It is believed the plane impacted around the 91st floor. We will never know if Mary died instantly, or if she survived the impact and died as a cause of the fire. What we can know is that she died a senseless death at the hand of people who had no regard for human life, people who hate us and who will stop at nothing until we submit to them.

Let's not allow Mary's death to be forgotten. Always remember her, and the other 2,995 victims who died at the WTC that day. Also honor and remember the 184 victims of the attack at the Pentagon, and the heroes of United Flight 93 who willingly gave up their lives to avoid another target.

Honor them today, at the 5th anniversary of the day that changed our lives forever.

Tags: World Trade Center, September 11, 9/11, Terrorist Attacks, Jihad, Mary D. Stanley