I love you and I'll see you later

A trained man never panics, especially a foreign exchange broker.

They thrive on pressure and chaos.

On the unknown.

Adventure and uncertainties are how they make their living and how they drive the fortunes of their employers, which was Cantor Fitzgerald in Frank's case. Frank showed up to before dawn to ride the train into New York City every day, sharing his warm smiles with whomever looked his way. He had charm.

Just ask his kids, Nicole, Christopher, and Danielle or his widow Michelle. Frank brought zeal to the world of his family and that is what they will always hold in their hearts. The warmth of his love and the smile of good man.

A promise that was made by a man, "I love you and I'll see you later." Frank left this message for his family, saying he knew the building had been hit by a plane but that he thought he'd get out ok. His body was recovered two weeks later.

How often those words must linger in the air but yet they do see him; in one another when they smile and in their own tears when they cry.



As young as they are their father could become a shadow of someone they hardly knew, but just looking at his smile and reading about him, I doubt it. Certainly their memories will be forever peppered with memories of the things that Daddy did. And maybe now, they are finally able to sit around and tell stories with laughter in their hearts about the good old days. I know that there are many people who still think about Frank...

The kind of stories that start with remember when....and end with someone in the crowd threatening to pee their pants. The belly-laugh kind of stories. The inside joke kind of stories that only families share.

Frank must have felt prepared to help that September morning, in fact it is probably the one thing that made him a hero. He was a volunteer EMT for five years and trained to helped injured peopled. "Frank (sic) served with the Short Hills Volunteer First Aid Squad. "He truly cared for those around him, giving back to his community, but especially caring for those close to his heart; he made everyone feel safe and loved," his daughter Nicole Spinelli said." In my minds eye I can just see him rushing around the 103rd floor trying his damnedest to help anyone he could with the skills he had, maybe getting down a flight of stairs but I doubt that is what he was doing. Heroes always try to help.

He just wanted to get home to his beloved family. Family was first in his heart.

It drove him.


I am glad to have honored Frank on the internet and sorrier than anything that I had to.

I found this quilt block honoring him...go see the whole slide show please.


**********many of the links no longer work.  This one does: http://www.silive.com/september-11/index.ssf/2010/09/frank_spinelli_44_broker_dedic.html



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The complete information on the victim assigned to you:Name: Frank J. SpinelliAge: 44
Killed at: World Trade Center
From country: USA
From city: Short Hills
From state: N.J.