A quarter of a century has passed since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, in which 2,977 people lost their lives. Among the 67 UK victims were two people with Merseyside connections: Ron Gilligan from Kirkby and Sarah Redheffer, who attended school in Kirkby.
Ron Gilligan: Everton fan who never came home
Ron Gilligan, a 43-year-old Everton fan from Kirkby, was a stockbroker working for Cantor Fitzgerald. He was in his office on the 103rd floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building between the 93rd and 99th floors.
Ron and his wife Liz, originally from Speke, had moved to New York after he secured his dream job. They had built a new life in America with their three children, Ashley, Ainsley and Dherran. Even after the plane hit, Ron initially did not realise the full scale of what was happening. He tried to help colleagues escape, unaware he was trapped above the flames with no way out. As the reality became clear, he sent desperate messages to his loved ones, telling them he would see them again. But he never made it home.
Family's lasting grief
The North Tower collapsed, killing everyone still inside. Ron's body was never recovered, and a memorial service was held at St Chad's in Kirkby. For his family, the absence of a body made it even harder to come to terms with his death.
In 2003, Liz brought the family back to the UK to be closer to relatives in Liverpool and Chester. They eventually settled in North Wales, filling their home with reminders of Ron. His son Dherran has returned to Ground Zero many times over the years. Speaking in 2013, he described the site as both painful and comforting, and a place where he could feel close to his dad.
He said: "I suppose being there is like being closer to my dad as you know it's his final resting place and you are kind of torn between knowing this was where he was murdered. At the same time it is one of the only places that can bring you comfort in a way. It's really hard to describe. I don't think there's ever going to be a point when going there isn't like tearing off a scab. It's always going to be like that for me. It's always going to be raw. But I don't think I'd want it to change."
He added: "But the further we get from 9/11, the longer time that passes, it's almost like I feel further away from my dad. So coming back and almost refreshing myself with it feels like I'm closer to the time when I last saw him."
Sarah Redheffer's Kirkby connection
Sarah Redheffer, 35, attended St Chad's School in Kirkby for two years between 1970 and 1972, when her father, Reverend David Prothero, was curate at St Chad's Church. Sarah later married American Eric Redheffer in 1998 and worked for London-based publishers Risk Waters.
On the morning of the attacks, she was hosting a conference for the company on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower. Her parents, David and Sue, endured days of uncertainty as they desperately hoped their daughter had survived. They had met at Merchant Taylors' School and had roots in Crosby. But the news they prayed would never come eventually arrived.
Speaking 13 years ago, Reverend Prothero, who was rector at St Mary's in Bath, reflected on the lasting impact of the attacks. He said: "I don't think there is anything more to say from our point of view - those iconic pictures of the twin towers continue to haunt us all; that's probably all we can say."
25 years on
A quarter of a century has now passed since the September 11 attacks. For those who lost loved ones, however, the passage of time has not eased the pain or erased the memories of that dreadful day. Across Liverpool and beyond, families continue to remember the lives, hopes and dreams of those who never returned home from New York, Washington or Pennsylvania.
Today, 25 years after the attacks, the names of the 2,977 victims are remembered once again. Included in that number are Ron Gilligan and Sarah Redheffer, whose stories remain woven into Merseyside's history.
