Friday, September 11, 2009

WE REMEMBER TODD A ISAAC


I first wrote about Todd in September 2006 as part of the Project 2,996. I am honored to be a part of his project again. Please be sure to visit Project 2,996 to read about so many others that lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

TODD A ISAAC

Todd was born July 18, 1992 in the Bronx, NY to Betty and Odell Isaac. He leaves a brother Odell, a girlfriend Sandra Perez, and an uncle; five aunts; and a nephew behind. He leaves us all with his story.

He won a prestigious admission to Phillips Academy, where he played Varsity basketball. He then went on to earn a BA in economics from Holy Cross, and was a start point guard on the Varsity basketball team.

In 1995, he joined Cantor Fitzgerald as a Corporate Broker, and was made a partner in 2000. He died in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

His cousin Damon Beaty writes on his website Todd’s Toys, a charity for underprivileged kid created in Todd’s memory:

“Todd will be remembered, not only for his many accomplishments, but also for his love for people, which fostered his uncanny ability to make everyone feel welcome and at ease when in his presence. Giving back to the community was a priority for Todd. He demonstrated his willingness to donate his time and financial support throughout his high school, college, and post-colleg
e life.”


This is a profile from the New York Times on Dec 9, 2001 about Todd:

“A Kick Out of Everything

From college on, it was Todd Isaac and Troy Dixon. Two young black men navigating the mostly white world of Wall Street traders. They played golf, they went to the Hamptons, but Mr. Dixon drew the line at attempting to ski. "Todd said: 'Why don't we learn to snowboard? That way we can say we've been skiing all along, and we're just trying something new."

So they did, and when they were on top of Whistler Mountain, Todd Isaac, who grew up in the Bronx and worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, would say, "Look at us!" And when they were in South Beach, or in the V.I.P. lounge of a swank Manhattan nightclub, or at the Super Bowl, he would say it again. "Look. At. Us."

It was persistence and charm that got him there. Those qualities got him his girlfriend, Sandra Perez, too. A quiet foil to his boisterous humor, she did not like him when they met, at a Valentine's dinner for singles. She is Puerto Rican, and Mr. Isaac made one too many jokes about flan.

But it was not long before she was picnicking in Central Park with him, poring over the Real Estate section to plan where they would live. "Todd would make you love him," said his brother, O'Dell Isaac. "If you didn't love him right away, he would work on you until you did."”

Here are other sites honoring the memory of Todd:

http://www.9-11heroes.us/v/Todd_A_Isaac.php


http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/people/3797.html


http://www.legacy.com/Sept11/Story.aspx?PersonID=130203


http://terroristattack.com/messages.php?id=1365


http://www.cantorfamilies.com/cantor/jsp/tribute.jsp?ID=3680


http://cantorrelief.org/


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