In September 1999, I traveled to Halifax, Canada, with my mother and other family members who lost loved ones on Swissair 111. It had been a year since the crash and the Canadians so graciously extended themselves to the hundreds of family members who came to memorialize our loved ones. It was three days of intense emotions and the days were long and full. The burial and memorial ceremonies were unbelievably touching; the Canadian people could not have been nicer and they extended themselves in every way possible. The investigators patiently explained what they were doing; the hotel staff couldn’t have been nicer, the bus drivers who took us are every site, the protectiveness of the volunteers who shielded us from the press in their formation around us are things I will never forget. The signs along the road by the people who are residents of that peaceful land were meant to provide support to us, the families who are heart broken. I will always feel their love and am deeply appreciative of everything they did. But the most remarkable aspect of the three days was the feeling of connectedness I felt toward other families who lost loved ones on that flight.
Listening to others’ stories about the night of the crash is something that is with me forever.
After returning to my daily routine I found it took about a month to decompress from the three days in Halifax. My thoughts kept returning there. I will always pray for all the people on Swissair 111 and their families.
I will always identify with anyone who loses a loved one on a plane crash. I hope that we who suffer so from this event can help others in the future.
Lynn Romano Zimney lost her brother, Raymond Romano, 44, aboard Swissair Flight 111, September 2, 1998
