The following was written by Phyllis Katzen, who shares her and her classmates' memories of Stephen LaMantia, a 1981 East Meadow High School graduate who died while working for Cantor Fitzgerald in the attacks on the World Trade Center.
I was asked by Danielle LaMantia Johns to help put together an article about her brother Steve LaMantia, who died tragically on 9/11.
Although it happened 10 years ago, it seems like yesterday. It doesn’t get any easier to think of the loss of our friend Steve and we can’t even imagine how this family; his wife and children, his mom, his sister and brother handle 9/11 each year, let alone every day of their lives without him.
We thought it would be a nice idea to have some of his high school friends say a few words about Steve. We only had a short time to gather messages from people. I'm sure we could have gathered 100 more in time.
I don't think you could find a single person to say a bad word about Steve, he was a great guy, with a huge heart. I was lucky enough to have Steve as my high school boyfriend. Steve was one of those all around great guys: intelligent, athletic, successful, funny, warm and kind. He was captain of our high school football and lacrosse teams. He won "Most Athletic" in high school and received a lacrosse scholarship to Roanoke College in Virginia, where he met his wife, Kim.
He was president of his fraternity (Sigma Chi) in his junior and senior year of college, that says a lot. They called him "Jet" in college because he wore his East Meadow Jets jerseys to practice, and the name stuck.
Below are just a few notes from friends. Everyone that sent in a note about Steve let me know how choked up they were, with tears in their eyes, while writing their thoughts about him.
From Michael Ciaccio:
There are so many stories and memories i have of Steve from the first time we met, when i was 4 years old to playing sports in front of his house when we were kids. It was funny, every weekday at 4:45 p.m. when we were outside playing, Mrs. LaMantia would call out “Steve, Joe (his brother)...Dinner!” We would wait for them so we could keep on playing.
I remember in July of 1998, Patrick O’neil got 3 tickets for Claude, Patrick and myself to see Jimmy Page and Robert Plant at Madison Square Garden. That day he told me that Steve was going to meet us at the bar for a drink. I was so happy because i had not seen Steve in a while. We met him and had a lot of laughs. Steve loved music but hated concerts. When Steve and I spoke, he brought up how we had lost touch with each other. I told him no matter where we are, that he and I have a bond that could never be broken.
When it was time to leave for the concert I said goodbye and Steve said he was not going anywhere, he said he was going with us, I was so happy to hear that. The concert was great. In July 2001 we had our 20th high school reunion. That night O’neil, O’connor, Jimmy Noon, Steve Lamont, Joe Lombardo ( Iggy!), Linda and Phyllis met at my house before the reunion. Jimmy Noon and Steve slept over. I woke up at 8 a.m. and Steve was already awake. We talked for a long while, then he wanted to get home to see his family. I have so many great stories about Steve and I am blessed to have had him in my life, from when we were four years old all the way into our 30's. Steve was a great guy and an even a greater friend!
From Russell DeBonis:
As a new kid entering junior high and high school, the upper classmen had a choice on how to treat the younger kids. From day one, Steve was always welcoming with a laugh and a smile. We both played sports for our schools and wore our uniforms with pride which was always something I remember about Stephen.
My last real memory of him was at a house party of his. The two of us spoke just inside his front door entrance. He was laughing, smiling and asking me about my good buddy Steve Pirkl who grew up across the street from him. I am pretty sure Pirkl showed up at the party that night a short time later. I attended the funeral Mass in Connecticut when Stephen passed.
I remember reading in the article about how he loved to take his kids to Dunkin' Donuts on the weekends. I did not have kids at the time of Stephen LaMantia's death but I do now. And one of my favorite things to do with them is to buy them bagels and Dunkin' Donuts on the weekends and sometimes during the week. Sometimes they come with me and sometimes they don't. It appears that Stephen LaMantia discovered a nice thing for a father to do with his kids before I even knew it existed.
From Ann (Heitefuss) Giordano :
I knew Stephen through Jr. High and High School, not just as a classmate but as a friend. With so many wonderful qualities about Stephen the one that always sticks out in my mind, was his warm and friendly smile. It didn't matter if you knew him or not, because if he passed you by in the hallway he always gave you a kind smile. And as big as his smile was his heart was bigger. I'm sure anybody that knew him would say the same.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and children. How blessed they were to have had Stephen in their lives.
May we all remember the lives lost that tragic day and know that nobody died in vain. From Janet Urquhart:
How sad to think of Steve LaMantia losing his life in NYC on September 11, 2001. In the years since that tragedy, some of us learned of his success in the business world and with his life at home as a husband and father.
It came as no surprise that he was well respected and loved dearly. Now, terribly missed by many. As a friend from his East Meadow High School class of 1981, I remember having loads of fun with him in some classes. I recall his infectious sense of humor, his never fading smile and the loyalty to his close group of friends, he was always looking out for others.
Memories? hmm...well, there was some crazy dancing at a party on 6th street that I remember clearly from our senior year, and that he was an all around nice guy. Lucky were those who knew him. May he now be resting in peace and his family and close friends be comforted with the memories of the time they shared together. God Bless You All.
From Patrick O’Neil:
I’ve had the privilege and wonderful blessing of knowing Steve since the first grade. September 11 will mark the 10th year since I last saw Steve and heard that boisterous laugh of his!
If you were having a bad day or were in a foul mood, Steve had this rare gift of making you smile and forget your cares for the moment no matter what was going on. Steve was a loving father to both Emily and Craig; a caring and giving husband who adored his wife Kim; a real go-getter in every essence of the word as he earned everything he got; and a true friend who you could count on to always have his door open for you no matter what time of the day or night it was and lend you his ear.
We grew up together from grade school through college and stayed in close contact throughout the years. We celebrated all of life’s ups and downs, the trials and tribulations. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think of Steve and Packy for that matter as I miss them both more than words can say.
Life has a way of moving on though after we manage to pick up the pieces. I will always feel that my life was a far better and more fortunate world to be in, thanks to my dear and treasured friend. Keep’em chilled till I get there boys! Rest in Peace and God bless you Steve.
From Lisa Scarnato Hyman:
Steve was my Junior Prom date, and we went as friends. You couldn't ask for a nicer, more respectful date in the world. He wasn't like the other guys...he was a total gentleman.
My heart broke when I heard of his death in the 9/11 tragedy, as I had just seen him at our high school's 20th reunion several weeks earlier. In fact, I remember him standing against a support column that night with a beer in his hand, and a gentle smile on his face as he watched about thirty or forty of us try to drunkenly fit into a group shot.
I have always wondered what he was thinking in that moment, as he looked so pensive, yet peaceful...ten years have gone by, and I still wonder. It was almost as if he knew he might never see these people again. Of course, I'll never know where his thoughts were that night...but I know where my thoughts will be this year on the ten year anniversary of 9/11 and his death.
From Frank Mayosky:
If it was 1980 or 1998, Steve never changed. He was a bear of a man and lit up a room with his presence. He was a peacemaker between stupid friends and you wanted him as an ally.
On the football field, the lacrosse field or canoing on the Delaware, he was there to lead the way and to pick you up off the field or out of the water with those big bear arms. He loved his family and we loved them because we were all part of his family.
Walking into his parents house, we knew we would encounter Mr. LaMantia or his brother Joe on the couch watching TV. We would just walk in, say hello and go upstairs to see Steve in his room. As his friends, we watched over Danielle because she was Steve's little sister and therefore our sister (She also knew way too much of what we did when his parents were out...the parties). When he went to Roanoke, we didn't lose Steve; Roanoke got a little piece of East Meadow. Steve...we miss you.
There's not a person that knew Steve that didn't love him. It's so hard to fathom how many great people like Steve died that day, what a shame, what a waste of wonderful human beings. His family is in all of our thoughts and prayers. Steve, we’ll forever miss you.
Source:
