A Man of Faith

 

Alfred J. Braca never shied away from his faith.  According to what his family learned from spouses of co-workers who died right beside him on September 11, 2001, shortly after the North Tower had been hit, he gathered a number of his co-workers at Cantor Fitzgerald into a circle, had them join hands, and led them in prayer.  He was sixty-four.  A husband, a father, and a grandfather who had spent sixteen years at Cantor Fitzgerald, some of his co-workers called him "The Rev" because of the way in which he carried himself.  

Mr. Braca met his wife, Jean, on the Staten Island Ferry.  For him, it was love at first sight.  Not so much for Jean.  He pleaded with her to go out with him on just one date.  She declined.  However, she did agree to talk to him on the telephone.  He called her.  Twelve hours later, she hung up after agreeing to that one date.  On it, he kissed her and Jean said to herself, "Maybe this is not so bad."  

It proved to be so much more than "not so bad".  Albert and Jean were married thirty-three years at the time of his death.  They had four children (two sons and two daughters) and had already been blessed by three grandchildren by the time of his death on that terrible Tuesday morning in September two decades ago. 

-AK