“Legacy of Flight 3407”

Posted: 12 Feb 2011 07:49 PM PST

Two years to the day after their loved ones died in an unimaginable way, the families of Continental Connection Flight 3407 gathered Saturday to commemorate their loss -- and to celebrate a bond that's just as unimaginable.

The depths of that bond could be seen throughout the day, from the walk about a dozen people took through Forest Lawn in the morning, toting a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream to toast their loved ones, to the candlelight procession to the Clarence crash site planned for 10:17 p.m., the precise moment of the crash.

The day's events proved that the 150 or so people closest to the crash victims have done much more than reconcile themselves to their loss, more than change the nation's aviation safety laws for the better.

Through the loss of their loved ones, they've found a new family.

"Our family members left this earth unexpectedly, and certainly not by our choice," said Mike Quimby of Bemus Point, whose father-in-law, Brad S. Green Sr., died in the crash that claimed 50 lives. "But that night, they gave us a gift. And that gift is each other."

The second anniversary of the crash unfolded in a much more subtle way than the first anniversary, when the families led a march of thousands from the crash site to Buffalo Niagara International Airport to deliver to the nation a message about aviation safety.

With that biggest battle won, the families this year had time to reflect not just on their loved ones, but on each other.

So it was with both sadness and joy that Marty Agius and about 15 others visited several cemeteries as well as Forest Lawn, toasting their lost loved ones with shots of Bailey's.

"It was really something," said Agius, who lost his brother-in-law, Kevin Johnston, in the crash. "At each site, for the person who'd lost someone, there'd be tears running down their eyes. But they'd be smiling at the same time."

That coupling of sad and sweet carried over through an afternoon remembrance service at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Williamsville, where this new large family marked the changes any family experiences.

Scott Maurer, who lost his daughter, Lorin, in the crash, took to the pulpit to remember Mike Loftus, who lost his daughter Madeline in the crash and his fight to cancer on Jan. 17.

Loftus, a garrulous, bearish retired pilot who testified twice before Congress and who appeared frequently before the media on the families' behalf, was well-loved among the group.

He'll be missed, Maurer said -- noting that even amid the loss, the families group is a growing family.

Several of the group's members have had children in the past year, "and they are the gift that will carry us forward," Maurer said.

Quimby and his wife can attest to that. Their twins were born last year at about 26 weeks, each weighing less than 2 pounds, and it was touch-and-go for a while both for their mother and for young Jack and Landon.

"Everyone in this group was so supportive," Quimby said. "They threw a shower for us afterwards and so many people were there."

The church service was as ecumenical as possible, featuring Christian hymns and Jewish folk songs and outreach from the pastor to those uncertain of their faith.

And a slide show honoring the victims unfolded like a tapestry of modern Americana, combining images of families of every background and every race.

Tears welled in eyes throughout the church throughout the slide show, but the mood changed quickly when the families moved on to the American Legion's George F. Lamm Post for a buffet dinner and a celebration of their success in Washington.

The families pressured Congress last year into passing safety legislation that bolsters pilot training and combats pilot fatigue. And they commemorated their dozens of trips to Washington with a slide show that told their story -- and with kind words from one of their most prominent allies.

Maurer read an e-mail from Jeffrey Skiles, co-pilot of the "Miracle on the Hudson" USAirways flight, who helped the families on their legislative fight.

"Your work on behalf of your loved ones will be felt by airline travelers for decades to come," Skiles said.

They also heard an e-mail from the group's de facto legislative leader -- Kevin Kuwik, who was Lorin Maurer's boyfriend and who could not attend the anniversary because of his role as an assistant basketball coach at Ohio State.

"Thank you so much for all the e-mails," said Kuwik, whose team wore a badge honoring the Flight 3407 victims during its loss to Wisconsin on Saturday. "We put them up on the wall for the guys to read."

Once the presentation ended, the dinner took on the air of an extended family reunion. Everyone greeted everyone with a hug, and laughter erupted from every table.

"We just love being together," said Justine Krasuski, who lost her husband, Jerome, in the crash. "I feel like this is my family. And after two years, I feel like I actually knew everyone who was on that plane."

But the mood darkened again at the candlelight vigil, where about 200 people gathered beneath a frigid starry sky at a vacant lot where a house once stood, where 50 people and an unborn child lost their lives two years ago.

Fifty-one candles, set in white paper bags arranged in a circle, made a makeshift memorial as the names of those lost were read. Sad eyes stared straight at the ground until a plane, bound for the airport, roared safely by, drawing everyone's gaze.

And afterwards, again, there were hugs and goodbyes and vows to keep in touch.

"We lost such wonderful people," said John Kausner, who lost his daughter, Ellyce, in the crash. "And we're left with such wonderful people."

jzremski@buffnews.comnull

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