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Joanne Cregan: Everyone's Best Friend

 

Joanne and Grace Cregan were sisters. The kind who moved here from Ireland and bought identical apartments, just two floors apart in the same Brooklyn Heights building; the kind who sent each other e-mail messages throughout the day and watched television together every night; the kind who were best friends.

But there was something about Joanne Cregan, 32, who worked at eSpeed, that made most people think she was their best friend. When her friends needed advice, she gave it freely. When she went home to Ireland, she took gifts for her family and friends. Her laugh and her sense of humor made bleak situations brighter.

Ms. Cregan, who loved music, also connected with children and was to become the godmother of three babies.

"She was an excellent big sister," Grace Cregan said. "Sometimes it just hits me that I'll never see her again. I won't get to grow old with her."

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From "Profiles in Grief" of The New York Times