On September 11th, 2001, tragedy struck as the twin towers fell in a terrorist attack against the United States. 2,996 people lost their lives that day, including mothers, spouses, and children. 247 passengers boarded the four planes: American Airlines Flight 11, United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, and United Airlines Flight 93. Among the victims of this tragedy, four were University of New Hampshire (UNH) alumni. Although they came from different backgrounds and had different experiences at UNH, each person left an important impact on their friends, family, and the UNH community.
Judd Cavalier `98 was a beloved member of the Sigma Beta fraternity and was known for being the “house chef.”
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In 1996, Cavalier took a semester off and found his passion for sales in the Rocky Mountains selling ski equipment. Cavalier was known for acquiring a pool table for him and his roommates. When Cavalier graduated in 1998, he donated his pool table to the Sigma Beta house, where it remains to this day.
During the summer of 1996, Cavalier got an internship at Sandler O’Neill and Partners, an investment banking firm in New York City. After graduating, he was asked to come back as a full-time employee. He moved to Long Island with his childhood friend Joseph Anchundia, whom he helped get a position at the same company. On September 11th, 2001, they died together while at work on the 104th floor of South Tower.
Jennifer Fialko `94 was a patriotic New Hampshire citizen. Fialko’s mother described her love of the state and drive to attend the University of New Hampshire.
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Her favorite place to be was waterskiing on Lake Winnipesaukee. Fialko majored in Sociology and was a beloved member of the Sigma Iota Sigma sorority. Her sorority sisters remembered what a great friend Fialko was and how she was always the first one there in times of need. During her junior year at UNH, she studied Spanish and traveled abroad to Granada, Spain. Her passion for languages continued even after graduation, when she traveled to Brazil and learned Portuguese. Two years after Fialko graduated, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Despite the hardships and challenges, Fialko persisted; she went through rounds of chemotherapy, developing her own essential oil business to combat the side effects of chemotherapy. In August 2001, Fialko was offered a position at Aon, a client-service insurance company located in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. On September 11th, 2001, Fialko was working on the 92nd floor when the second plane struck.
Timothy Stout `83 was described as a dependable and enthusiastic man. He was a member of the UNH Crew team and lived in the crew house with his friends and teammates. described as someone who gave his 100% and someone you always wanted around.
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His mother described him as a good and kind man, taking on responsibilities such as doing the laundry, grilling and cooking for the family, playing with the kids, and making them popcorn. He fell in love with and married Maryellen Fanelli in 1991. Together they had three kids: Timothy Jr., now 32 (7 at the time), Matthew, now 30 (5 at the time), and Shannon, now 29 (4 at the time). After their father had died, his kids made a list of the top 10 things they had loved about their dad, which is now on the 9/11 Memorial website:
- He grilled well
- Hugs
- Funny
- Birthday party and cake
- He loved us
- Kisses
- “Thank you and goodnight” (his favorite phrase to encourage the kids to sleep)
- Snuggling
- Surprises - movies, treats, adventures
- We love you, Daddy
He had found a career at the global financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald. On September 11th, 2001, he had been on the 103rd floor of the North Tower when the first plane struck.
Robert LeBlanc, '59, a UNH alum and geography professor, was a favorite professor of many UNH students. He graduated from Nashua High School in 1930 and enlisted in the Air Force, from which he was discharged in 1953.
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As a student at UNH, LeBlanc studied geologist Donald H. Chapman’s work on glacial studies in the Arctic. LeBlanc himself was Franco-American and invested in his heritage and loved travel, culture, and language. LeBlanc and his wife had tickets and plans to go to Argentina, India, and Sweden in the near future. After his death, his wife joked that he had so many frequent flyer miles from multiple airlines that she couldn’t even sort them all. On September 11th, 2001, he boarded United Airlines Flight 175 on his way to a geology conference in Los Angeles.
September 11th, 2001, is a day to be remembered and to mourn those who were lost; those who sacrificed their lives to save others, and those who worked in the 170 hospitals and triage centers that cared for and aided victims that day. It is important to continue to honor all those who were lost.
