A Floral Park man who died during the 9/11 attack in New York City was identified Thursday, Aug. 7.
Ryan Fitzgerald, a 26-year-old from Floral Park, was just settling into the city when he was killed by terrorists who hijacked and deliberately crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the north tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. He was the 1,651st victim identified in the attack that took 2,753 lives.
He, along with Barbara Keating of Palm Springs, Calif.. and another adult woman whose name is being withheld at the request of her family, were identified by the Office of the New York City Chief Medical Examiner through family outreach and advanced DNA analysis of remains recovered from the attack.
Over 1,100, or 40%, of those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, remain unidentified. Dr. Joshua Graham, New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner, said his office is committed to identifying all who were killed in the attack.
“Nearly 25 years after the disaster at the World Trade Center, our commitment to identify the missing and return them to their loved ones stands as strong as ever,” Graham said. “Each new identification testifies to the promise of science and sustained outreach to families despite the passage of time. We continue this work as our way of honoring the lost.”
Fitzgerald’s obituary describes him as “a man on the town,” who enjoyed frequenting cozy Manhattan restaurants, golf games in Las Vegas, the Yankees and the Dave Matthews Band. He was a foreign currency trader at Fiduciary Trust and was seeking an MBA. at Dowling College.
He was the oldest of three children and was survived by his mother, Diane Parks, and his girlfriend, Darci Spinner.
His online obituary page has nearly 200 messages from friends, family, classmates, and colleagues, who have returned to the site over the years to leave repeated notes about how much he was missed, share memories and provide him with life updates.
“I went to the Nassau County Memorial in Eisenhower Park and your name is on it…Many people miss you, Ryan, and we have fond memories of you,” one message from 2007 reads.
“I met you 8 years ago today…It was my first day at Fiduciary Trust. It seems like yesterday,” another from 2008 reads. “I will never really understand this loss or why this happened.”
People described Fitzgerald as fun, considerate, giving and kind, including one man who shared that he helped him when he had a back injury in college.
His girlfriend’s mother posted a message on June 16, 2008, telling him his former partner had a baby girl with her husband, asking Fitzgerald to watch over her. Others left messages on his birthday each year, and after they attended a concert or event they thought he also would have enjoyed.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement offering his condolences to the victims’ families. He said he hoped the identification provided some solace.
“The pain of losing a loved one in the September 11 terror attacks echoes across the decades, but with these three new identifications, we take a step forward in comforting the family members still aching from that day,” said Adams. “As a former law enforcement officer who served our city on 9/11, I understand deeply the feeling of loss so many families have experienced.”
“We hope the families receiving answers from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner can take solace in the city’s tireless dedication to this mission,” Adams added.
These three are the latest victims to be identified by the city’s Chief Medical Examiner’s Office since 2024.
