Flight 3407 relatives talk about family lost, family gained
They spoke of family lost, of course — the brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, mothers and fathers killed when Continental Flight 3407 plunged into a Clarence Center neighborhood in February.
But relatives who participated in a powerful memorial service this morning for the crash victims also talked of having gained plenty of new family over the past nine months.
Nearly 600 people gathered under a tent in Forest Lawn for the service, which included the entombment of unidentified remains from the crash site.
It was the largest collection of relatives of Flight 3407 victims in one spot since the tragedy on Feb. 12.
After exchanging e-mails and talking on the telephone, some of them met in person for the first time.
"We've become very, very close. It's like meeting parts of your family you've never met before. You don't walk up and shake hands, you hug," said Marty Agius of Buffalo, whose brother-in-law, Kevin W. Johnston, perished in the crash.
There were plenty of hugs to go around, along with more than a few tears and some laughs, as well.
"Now we're seeing faces to names," added Agius' wife, Helen, Johnston's sister.
Organized by family members, the hour-long service included a poem, readings and musical performances — including two recordings by guitarist and Flight 3407 passenger Coleman Mellett, a member of Chuck Mangione's band who was flying here for a performance.
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