Barbara Keating, a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11, tragically lost her life on September 11, 2001, when terrorists crashed the plane into the World Trade Center in New York. Her remains were identified only last year. On Friday, on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, her family will gather in Framingham, Massachusetts, to lay her to rest.
Keating was traveling home to California after visiting family. Her son, Paul Keating, shared that the family plans to celebrate her life as they find some closure. He recalled the day of the attack, witnessing the towers fall while on a business trip in New Jersey, and later receiving the devastating news about his mother.
“We carved the headstone 25 years ago, but she wasn’t there, and now she will be,” Paul said, reflecting on finally having his mother laid to rest.
Barbara Keating, 72, was a mother of five and grandmother of 12. She had retired from leading a chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Boston. Her burial will be beside her husband.
New York officials report that 40% of the 2,753 victims in New York City have not been recovered or identified. Despite this, dedicated teams continue to sift through debris from the World Trade Center to return remains to families. Paul expressed gratitude for their efforts.
“It just means a lot to comb over miles and miles of city blocks of debris for every day, 60 hours a week for 24 years,” he remarked.
The city’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Jason Graham, described the recovery mission as a “sacred commitment.” Using advanced forensic DNA technology, researchers identified another victim last month, but the family requested anonymity.
A concerted effort continues to locate the approximately 1,100 victims still unaccounted for in New York City.
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