Gardens of Remembrance
Long Island 9/11 Memorial
Queen Elizabeth II September 11 Memorial Garden
Conseleya 9/11 Memorial
Dewitt 9/11 Memorial
Suffolk County 9/11 Memorial
Montclair State University 9/11 Memorial
East Newark 9/11 Memorial
Fair Haven 9/11 Memorial
Andrew J. Desperito was killed in the line of duty on 9/11 while trying to evacuate thousands of people at the World Trade Center before its devastating collapse. Being a firefighter was something he dreamed of since he was a little boy. He served three years as a NYC police officer before being appointed to the FDNY. He studied very hard and eventually became a lieutenant. He also was a member of Hagerman Volunteer Fire Department‚ often sharing his knowledge of firefighting at training drills and classes.
Helping people seemed to come naturally to him. He was a born communicator and connected well with all people. However‚ he never did anything for his own personal gain. He did it because it was the right thing to do. He was a highly respected and loved soccer coach who brought his son’s Division 1 soccer team to a first place championship twice right before his untimely death. He also instilled good sportsmanship in all his players mostly by his own behavior on the soccer field.
He strove to be the best he could in everything he did and was: a husband‚ father‚ son‚ brother‚ firefighter‚ soccer coach and friend. Andrew was most proud of his family‚ wife Laura‚ and children‚ Nicole‚ Anthony‚ and David.
Of everything that Andrew tried to accomplish in his short lifetime‚ the underlying goal was to always stay true to yourself and always follow your dreams.
New York Times Portraits of Grief
A 2,000-pound boulder behind a high school soccer field on Long Island reads: In memory of a hero, a husband, a father, a coach, a board member and a friend.
It was dedicated to Lt. Anthony Desperito, 43, of the New York Fire Department, who coached soccer at Bellport High School. Seniors who were on the soccer team receive scholarship awards in his name.
Lieutenant Desperito, who lived in East Patchogue, N.Y., also coached the soccer team of his 11-year-old son, Anthony. He was equally as active in the lives of his other children, Nicole, 14, and David, 7.
''Do you know how to make Dad's Chicken McGuinness?'' his wife, Laura Desperito, said the children ask. The dish is named for McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where he used to be stationed. ''I tell them that he knew all the recipes by heart,'' Mrs. Desperito said. The couple would have celebrated their 20th anniversary on Sept. 25.
''He was such a romantic,'' Mrs. Desperito said. ''He proposed to me on Rockaway Beach, where we always used to take long walks on the jetties. He didn't let me open the box near the water because he was afraid it would fall in the water.''
During his final hours, Lieutenant Desperito escorted a woman to safety from the north tower of the World Trade Center, and then ran back inside to search for more.
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