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Robert McCarthy Date of Birth: June 29, 1968 Position: OTC trader Rob was the most caring man I ever met. If someone was upset, you could always count on Rob to cheer you up. On August 26, 2001, our son, Shane Robert was born. I believe this was the happiest day of Robs life. He was looking so forward to becoming a father. He was wonderful with children. Always made them laugh. For the two weeks he had to spend with Shane, he was a great dad. He would come home from work and lay on the couch and Shane would lay right next to him. They slept in exactly the same position, it was amazing. Rob loved life, he had so many plans for the future, so many things he wanted to do. He worked hard his whole life to have a future for our family. He had a brand new home in which he was so proud. He loved working in and around the house. He loved to cook. He was a great cook. His brother-in-law, Gerald O’Leary, who was also killed in the disaster, was a chef. They would always share ideas for a great meal. Rob attended Manhattan College, with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. He loved his job, he loved the excitement that came with it. Life was becoming exactly what he wanted it to become. He had a wife who loved him more than anything, a new home, a great job, and a brand new baby boy. Life was perfect.
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Tributes
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I had the great pleasure of working with Rob and knowing him for several years prior to him joining Cantor. Rob was a rare breed – truly one of the good guys – always happy. He brought laughter to all of us, even on the most dismal of days. I remember him always talking of his dad who was a firefighter, how proud he always was of him and how he wanted so much to follow in his footsteps. My spirit was broken, and my heart ached when I learned that he was lost that terrible day. I will remember his family always in my prayers, and of course I will remember Rob, a person so truly deserving of the eternal happiness I know he now has. Our hearts go out to his wife, baby son, parents and other family members. My family prays daily to God to give you the strength and courage you need to get through this heartbreaking loss.
Rob really was a great guy. I remember when I was little I would look foward to seeing him on Sunday mornings at my Aunt Gloria’s house just to make me laugh. Recently I had gone to see him and my cousin Annie. You could tell they were so happy. They really were. I made a few jokes to Rob but he knew that inside I really loved him. I will never forget this remarkable person. Not a day goes by that he is not remembered in my heart. I love you, Rob, and may you rest in peace. God bless Annie and Shane.
Rob,
Since the last time I saw you, not a day has passed that I haven’t thought of you. A million thoughts and memories are stockpiled in my head. And yet I sit at this computer trying to pay tribute to you and my mind goes blank. All I can do is sob.
Ironically, as morose as I feel, I can’t even conjure up a memory of you ever being sad. That’s one of the reasons people were drawn to you. Because you did it right, Rob. You lived out loud and I love you for it. That’s why people look up to you. That’s why people model themselves after you. And that’s why you’ll always be alive in our hearts.
I wish I had the eloquence to take what I feel and put it on this screen. I wish I had the words.
Instead, all I can say is that you will never be forgotten. And, more than anything else, that I miss you.
Jon.
Rob,
I sit at my computer typing this memorial letter to you. That, in and of itself, is surreal.
Your very bright smile that lit up your face stays engraved in my memory. It can never be forgotten, especially as I watch Shane grow up-he is a mirror image of you.
My fondest memory was visiting you and Annie when you first brought Shane home. Your face was beaming with pride. You were home with your family and that is where you were the happiest.
I also clearly remember when you met Steve. Only my boyfriend at the time, but to you he was instantly a part of our family. I know your warm welcome made him feel so special. The tragedy of 9/11 did not allow you to be at our wedding. As I sit here in tears, I want you to know that you were in our thoughts the entire day. We danced our pants off in you honor because we know that’s what you would have been doing.
I am very angry that you were taken from us. Our family is no longer complete and never will be. A void in our hearts and lives forever. You belong here with us, but I guess I can understand why God wanted you with him. He needs angels, true spirits and kind hearts. Well, I certainly hope he is grateful for you.
We will always take care of Annie and Shane-she actually takes care of us sometimes. I commend her and I am in awe of her strength each day.
I miss you and love you. Goodbye for now sweet friend…..
Rob-
I am writing this on the 6 month anniversary of this tragedy. And still, the pain, sadness and anger feels as if it were yesterday.
Not a day goes by where you are not thought of and a tear not shed for you. I miss your bright smile, your vibrant eyes and bubbly personality.
But most of all I miss you and your friendship.
I am so greatful for knowing you and for the time we had with you. Now there are memories, and I will hold on to those memories forever in my heart.
As for Annie, your wife and my closest friend, her strength is unbelieveable, she amazes me.
Goodbye for now, my friend.
Some seven years ago, my immediate family lost someone very dear to them and I lost a great friend. Fortunately, prior to the events of September 11th, he was the only close friend I had lost in my adult life. I remember thinking about how tragic it was and how I could feel the pain his family was feeling. Well, now I can stand before you and honestly say that what I felt seven years ago was microscopic in comparison to what I feel today. The truth is, unless you have walked in the shoes of these families, it is impossible to understand. Luckily, for the sake of these two young women, you do not need to fully understand in order to help.
A friend recently told me that we all have crosses to bear in life. The thing is, some are fortunate enough to bear small crosses while others must carry what seems to be an overwhelming cross. And that is where you guys come in. Your love and support is what will get Mary and Annie through the rough times ahead, and help alleviate the weight they carry.
I ask today that you pray for the McCarthys, the O’Learys, and the Rosenfelds. We are strong families and we will make certain, with your help, that Shane and Michael grow up strong. We will also make certain they know their fathers as well as we did.
And so, we gather here today to rejoice the lives of Rob and Jerry. That’s right,
“rejoice”, not mourn. We have all mourned for the past two weeks and now we are called to celebrate their lives. We have to believe that Rob and Jerry are in a better place, and at peace. So please, smile as we remember Rob with that mischievous look in his eyes and the perpetual wise-ass smirk on his face; and Jerry, who couldn’t even attend a barbecue on his day off without becoming the chef and getting stuck behind the grill all day. Also remember how these two fathers loved their wives and children more than anything in the world and how proud they were of their boys.
Finally, as for the horrific events that transpired on September 11th, may the aftermath bring us closer both as a family and as a community. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world we live in. Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote, “There comes a time when the cup of endurance spills over and man is no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair.” The time has come to eviscerate terrorism in its entirety. It is my hope that our government not only wages random retaliation to assuage our collective anger, but rather, works prudently and cautiously to ensure the safety of all Americans.
With that, I ask God to bless Rob and Jerry.
God bless Mary and Annie and Shane and Michael.
God bless our families and this community.
And God Bless America.
Eulogy by Patrick McCarthy, Brother
I met Rob through a college friend that introduced me to an incredible group of friends from her hometown Stony Point, NY. I was instantly overwhelmed by this circle of friends, they were more than friends they were a family. Rob always impressed me. He made everyone even an outsider feel like family. I remember seeing him after a year had passed at a surprise birthday party and he ran over to me and swung me up off my feet and gave me a bear hug and just kept me laughing. Every day I think of the McCarthys and the O’Learys, I admire their strength and the immense love that these families share. To Annie and Shane & Mary and Michael may God Bless You every day for the rest of your lives. I keep two pictures of Annie & Rob on my desk at work with a memorial poem in tribute to Rob’s wonderful and giving nature. The other day someone saw the picture and poem and said, “He looks like a Great Guy” and I simply said as a tear ran down my cheek, “He was the best.”
Rob, I know you are now an angel watching over us-I feel lucky for that-lucky knowing that you are taking care of each of us.
May God Bless the McCarthy and O’Leary families.
It is hard for me to write a tribute to my brother-in-law Rob, without including my brother-in-law Jerry, who we also lost on September 11th. Before this September, wherever there was Rob, there was Rob’s brother Pat, and wherever there was Pat, there was Jerry. These three guys had such a rare closeness, one that is not often found in men. How perfect it was to have Rob’s wife Annie, Jerry’s wife Mary and myself also get along so well. People used to comment to me that I was so lucky to have this incredible new family, one that I loved hanging out with. I knew it was rare and fortunate, but until September 11th, I do not think any of us really realized how fortunate we all were. I thank God everyday for the closeness we all shared. I think that closeness has helped us all make it to today, and will help us with tomorrow and the next day.
I remember when Rob’s brother Pat and I first got together, and how Annie and I thought it was so cool that we might all be related one day. It tears me up that by the time that day came, the “we” was half gone.
Rob and Jerry were about to be my brothers-in-law, although I felt as if they had been since the day I met them. They made me feel welcome, they treated me like their sister. It breaks my heart that they were not present for our marriage. I sometimes imagine Rob at our wedding, making his best man speech, so unforgettable, trying to top his brother’s speech at his wedding. I picture him dancing up a storm and mingling all night long. I miss his laughter, I miss his love of life and most of all I miss the joy that he brought to everyone around him. Rob was an amazing man; he would do anything he could for anyone. He was an incredibly giving person. His sense of humor I think was one of his best qualities, whether it was just a joke or if he was goofing on you, he was hilarious. Rob loved his life; he loved his friends, his family, his wife and most of all he loved his son Shane. Everyday that I look at Shane I am more and more amazed at how much he looks like his Dad. From Shane’s eyes to his smile with a giggle the resemblance to his dad is magical. We will all make sure that Shane knows what a wonderful person his dad was.
There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about, pray for and miss both Rob and Jerry. I look at my husband Pat and ache for how much he misses his brothers, his boys, his best friends. They were such a part of our lives and we will feel that loss everyday for the rest of ours. Our family will never be complete again.
I have two wishes, which I hope and pray for everyday. One is that Rob and Jerry are able to look down and watch their beautiful wives and ever-changing sons, and two, that we will all reunite in heaven one day.
I did not know Rob, except through these incredible moving tributes. As I read them now, my eyes are welling up – but then I try to think of how fortunate he was to have so many people who cared so deeply about him during his life. Why am I adding a memorial here, you ask? Well, certain relief organizations are selling bracelets – much like the old POW bracelets from the Viet Nam ware. I sent away for one, think it was a nice tribute and praying that the money is actually going to where they say its going. I received Rob’s name on my bracelet. I wear it every day. The first thing I did when I got the bracelet was go to on the internet to a list of WTC victims – I followed the links to the Cantor-Fitzgerald site, and found this. I was incredible moved – I can’t tell you what the feeling was like. I was looking down and my bracelet, and looking at the picture of this handsome young man who was a new father and hand the world in his hand. I will think of all of you – most especially his wife and infant son – every time I look at the bracelet. God bless you all, and grant you strength.
I sit here and find it hard to find a place to start. I think we go back pretty far, and what we lack in time, we certainly make up for in substance.
3B. The first memory I have of you with the idea of friend linked to it. You asked “me” to help you move back to school. Apt. 3B. You said it meant 3 Badboys, that set the stage for all you would teach me in the years to come.
I could go on with stories but what I want to say Rob is “Thank You”. Thank you for teaching me to work hard, to be true to myself, and most importantly that I can do it on my terms. These are the traits I admired about you, and these are the things that will always remind me of you.
I sit in front of my computer screen in complete devastation and disbelieve that my greatest friend is no longer with us. In tragic times, it is sometimes very difficult to express your thoughts or in many cases, impossible to put them on paper. But when it comes to Rob, I have a particulary hard time summarizing all my thoughts. Rob was the most charismatic and loyal friend you could have. I had the great fortune of being Rob’s college roommate. We met as freshmen at Manhatten College and remained close friends ever since.
There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Rob; recovering from this monumental tragedy is not possible. My last memory of Rob is him sitting on his porch with his newly born son Shane “who looked just like him”; the expression on Rob’s face left no doubt that Rob was the proudest man on the planet. At 33, Rob was the happiest he had ever been; he had a beautiful wife, a gorgeous son, a new home and a great job, as he put it “his life just started”. The tragic day of 9/11 will haunt us forever but Rob McCarthy will always be remembered as a proud man, a great husband, a great father and a loyal friend who inspired everyone close to him to live life to the fullest and enjoy every moment. To Rob, we celebrated some of the greatest times in our lives together and created unforgettable memories. Losing you left a hole in my life that will never be filled. To Annie and Shane, I am forever indebted to Rob and will always be there for you.
I did not know Rob, but having worked down at the World Financial Center I have trouble putting these sad memories behind me for the past 10 months. It was our common last name that drew me to select Rob’s icon on this page and it was the first tribute from his wife that compelled me to write this response.
Robert’s life, as described by his wife, sounded so wonderfull and his goals very similar to what I have envisioned and worked so hard for in my short life.
My heart goes out to all those who died, are missing, and are grieving for the loss of loved ones. The only consulation I can offer to the friends and family of Robert consists of my prayers, thoughts and the knowledge that for my entire life, I, a stranger, will always remember this man’s face, his wife’s story and his son in my heart and prayers. God bless you. Like so many, I wish there was something I could do more.
I only knew Rob for three months. I started working at the salon Annie worked at when she was in her last couple monthes of pregnancy. Rob was probably one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. Whenever he came in to visit Annie he always had a smile on his face. I never saw him upset. I knew he genuinely loved Annie. Then Shane was born. The carbon copy of Rob. The last time I saw him was right after Shane was born. He was so happy. I don’t know what to say accept the world lost a lot of good people that day and Rob was one in a million. Annie, you are one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. Though I am young I hope you know I am here for you whenever you need. God bless you and Shane and I know Rob is up there taking good care of you both…
Rob was a great guy and I had the pleasure of knowing him through his wonderful wife Annie. They were a beautiful couple so much in love. I was the receptionist at a salon where Annie works and I would talk to him all the time because he called her numerous times a day. I always looked forward to Rob’s phone calls because I knew that he would make me laugh. Rob and Annie had the cutest baby boy I have ever seen. Shane was truly a gift from God. Rob only knew his son for about three weeks and then this terrible tragedy took place. Rob was a great father and would have continued to be one of the best fathers. Annie who has been through such a tragic experience has been a great mother to Shane. I commend her for all the strength and courage that she has and I just want to let her know that she is doing a wonderful job as a mom. Annie and Shane are surrounded by family and friends that love them very much and they will always be there for them. God Bless Rob, Annie and Shane McCarthy.
I have visited this memorial page so many times as a remembrance ,really to see Rob’s smile. I never knew what to say because words can not portray all of my feelings.
I am very privileged to have had Rob and Jerry as a part of my life. Rob’s exuberance and love of life and Jerry’s dash of flavor for life, a recipe worth living. These two young men were just settling into life with their wives and children. They had the world in their hands until it was taken away.
We are so blessed to have Shane and Michael. These two young boys have large footprints to fill. In my opinion, they will fill the footprints and search for a larger size. These two young men/boys are so blessed to have the traits that they were born with and the family to guide them.
Rob was a great guy funny, caring and all around great friend. I worked with Rob for a few years at US Clearing. Rob never entered a room without his presence being known. In his joking ways we would clear his throat or cough just to let u know he was passing threw. That was the kind of funny person he was. I cannot believe it is 8 years already and your son just celebrated his 8th Birthday. When ever i think of that horrible day i think of you. God bless your family and may they find happiness and peace. I know u are looking down on us from heaven, Rob you are truly missed.