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William Chalcoff: A Proud New American

 

Brian Chalcoff, now 8, and his brother, Eric, 13, used to fight to go to work at the World Trade Center with their father, William, on Saturdays. "My older one had to take homework, and my younger one would take toys," said Mr. Chalcoff's wife, Mabel. "For lunch he would take them wherever they wanted to eat -- McDonald's, Dunkin' Donuts to buy doughnuts -- or to the toy store to get some little toy. He would try even to make that time special. Whatever my kids wanted, he'd get for them."

Mr. Chalcoff, 41, a computer systems developer at Marsh & McLennan, and his wife had come here from Argentina, and became citizens a year ago. "He was so proud to be an American," Mrs. Chalcoff said. He was also proud that his accent was disappearing and that people no longer asked where he was from.

"He wanted so much to be part of this country," Mrs. Chalcoff said. "Believe me, he worked so hard to become what he was in the position he was."

On the morning of Sept. 11 they were talking on the phone when she heard a very loud noise, and the call was disconnected.

 

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From "Profiles in Grief" of The New York Times