"I had dinner for her and her family every Sunday, because Donna was active in the church and she worked full time and she didn't have the chance. The Sunday before she passed, I had said to my husband, 'I think that I will just fix some eggplant parmesan and an Italian baked macaroni and garlic bread and Italian salad.' This was one of her favorite meals. She was just tickled when she walked in and saw it, and she just ate and ate and ate. When she finished she said, 'Thank you, Matiuch and Kenneth [mom and dad]. That was delicious, but I am stuffed.' She had a big smile on her face. She loved Italian food."

Mary Heglmeier, mother

Source: The Washington Post, AP and washingtonpost.com

The profiles in this feature were written in the months following Sept. 11, 2001.