Iona College to Honor 15 Alumni Who Died on 9/11

Iona College is commemorating the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 by honoring 15 alumni who lost their lives in the tragedy.

The college will hold a commemoration service on Friday, Sept. 9 at noon. It will also pay tribute to the nearly 3,000 other Sept. 11 victims.

The 15 alumni who will be honored are: Thomas W. Hohlweck, Jr. ('74); Joseph P. Kellett ('96); Michael A. Lepore ('84); Laura M. Longing ('94); Michael F. Lynch ('94); Francis N. McGuinn ('83); Dennis P. McHugh ('90); Michael E. McHugh ('95); Robert McPadden ('99); Diana J. O’Connor ('86); Joseph R. Riverso ('91); Edward Ryan ('81); Joseph Spor, Jr. ('88); Sean P. Tallon ('96); Joanna Vidal ('96).

Family and friends of the 15 alumni will attend the service, which will be held at Murphy Auditorium. The Iona Pipers Band will participate in the commemoration, and there will be a procession to the college’s 9/11 Memorial Garden, where plaques are engraved with the names of the 15 alumni.

A reception will take place after the ceremony at 1 p.m. in the Thomas J. Burke Lounge at Spellman Hall. Anyone interested in attending should visit www.iona.edu to find out how to register for the event.

The Sept. 9 commemoration is part of a series of events Iona will hold to acknowledge the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

The college will hold a book signing reception at 2 p.m. on Sept. 9 in the Ryan Library with 1987 Iona alum and retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Robert Darling, who served as a liaison to the White House as it coordinated a response to the Sept. 11 attacks on the day of the tragedy. The events of that day are detailed in Darling’s book, 24 Hours Inside the President’s Bunker.

The college’s other Sept. 11 observances include:

• A Wall of Remembrance and Reflection on display in the Robert V. LaPenta Student Union Lobby from Sept. 6-9.
• At 9:11 p.m. on Thursday, September 8, a candlelight peace vigil will be held at Mazzella Field.
• From 9:00 a.m. to Noon on Friday, September 9, there will be faculty teach-in sessions at the Romita Auditorium in the Ryan Library.
• A liturgy with remembrance and blessings will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11 at the Ferdinand Arrigoni Center.

Visit www.iona.edu for more information.