Sharing Flight 3407's Story with the President

President Barack Obama came to Buffalo on Thursday, May 13th.  He stopped off at Duff's Famous Chicken Wings in Cheektowaga for a bite of lunch, visited a local factory making a speech which bolstered the employees' hopes about the U.S. economy, and then took time for a meeting with the families who had lost loved ones on Flight 3407.  Among those who spoke with the President were Susan Bourque and Karen Eckert, sisters of SHA Alumnae Beverly Eckert, Class of '69, who perished on Flight 3407. 

• Buffalo News Article from May 14, 2010

Beverly is remembered for her tireless crusade to get Congress to do a full investigation into the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center where her husband, Sean Rooney, was working and killed.

September 11, 2001, forever changed Beverly's life, when her husband, Sean Rooney, was killed while working in the World Trade Center.  Inspired by her husband's unflinching courage in the face of his impending death, Beverly rejected the conventional victim's role and instead co-founded an advocacy group called "Voices of September 11th", helping to represent the interests of 9/11 families on a variety of contentious issues.  Most notably, she lobbied in Washington for a full investigation into the terrorists' attacks.  She helped orchestrate country-wide support for a 9/11 Commission, participating in press conferences, testifying on Capitol Hill, and organizing rallies, protests, and vigils in Washington, D.C. and New York.  She then helped Congress pass legislation implementing 9/11 Commission recommendations needed to prevent future attacks.

Beverly's efforts and those of her colleagues have been acknowledged on the floor of both the House and Senate; and in 2007, she and five other 9/11 family leaders received special recognition at an awards ceremony at The Center for National Policy in Washington, D.C.  Beverly believed her decision to help others and make the country safer, rather than focus on her personal loss, was beneficial to the slow, but steady process of healing.

At the time of Beverly's death, having met with her a few days earlier in Washington, D.C., President Barack Obama called Beverly a tireless advocate with a passionate commitment.

"She was an inspiration to me and to so many others."