Dominican family reflects on Fitzroy
St. Rose who perished in 9/11 attacks
By Nelson A. King
Brooklyn resident Dr. Jean
Joseph, the Dominican-born,
former president of the Brooklyn
based West Indian American
Day Carnival Association
(WIADCA), said the 9/11 terrorist
attacks on the United
States brought back memories
of her nephew, Fitzroy St. Rose,
who apparently perished in the
tragedy.
Dr. Joseph, a certified public
accountant (CPA), told Caribbean
Life that St. Rose, who
was born in 1963, lived in the
Bronx and worked on the 80th
Floor, with General Telecom, in
World Trade Center Two.
“He was very active in the
Dominican community in the
Bronx,” she said. “We wish we
could have Fitzroy back.
He was a very promising
young man in the Dominican
community at home and in
the Bronx,” she added. “It was
a trying moment. Not only we
suffered, but a lot of families
suffered also.
“We want to thank all who
reached out to us, and thank
the government for assisting us
(financially),” Dr. Joseph continued.
“So, we are grateful.”
St. Rose’s father, Dennis
Joseph, Dr. Joseph’s elder
brother, told Caribbean Life
from Dominica that his son,
who migrated to New York in
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Caribbean Life, S 30 EPTEMBER 10-16, 2021
1993, worked as a computer
technician in the North Tower.
“At about 8.50 am that fatal
day, he called his mother Petrolina
‘Pat’ Joseph, who was in
Dominica to tell her that there
was something wrong in the
building but knew not what it
was,” Joseph said.
“He again called some minutes
later to say that he was
beginning to feel some panic,
because he could not get out
of his office space, as the door
was jammed,” he added. “He
said there were about seven
others in the office, including
two women.”
Joseph, who was in New York
at the time, said his son then
called him to find out if he
could tell him “what the situation
was on the news about the
happenings at the WTC (World
Trade Center).
“He was told that it was on
the CNN news that a small
plane had struck the North
Tower,” Joseph said. “There
was no further communication
from him.
“All efforts to find what had
happened to him in the days
Fitzroy St. Rose died in the World Trade Center attack on
9/11.
after the building collapsed
were in vain,” he said. “He was
well known in his area, where
he lived in the Bronx, and was
involved in bringing Dominica
musical bands to New York for
the Labor Day celebrations.
“His words at a fun party on
that Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2001,
were: ‘If I die today, I will say I
lived a happy life in America,’”
Joseph added. “A few days later,
he was gone. His body was
never found.”
Former WIADCA President,
Dr. Jean Joseph. Photo by
Nelson A. King
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