Inside Athletics | 9/11/2026 9:18:00 AM

The Sant Francis University community gathered near the Campus Bell Tower at 8:48 a.m. on Friday to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. It was a calm, sunny morning. Very similar to the one on September 11, 2001.

The Very Rev. Malachi Van Tassell, T.O.R. led the brief ceremony which included the reading of the names of those who lost their lives on that tragic day. There was also time to reflect on the memory of four SFU alumni, who all worked inside the World Trade Center.

Fred Kelly (Class of '66)
He and his wife had just celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary a week before the terror attacks. Kelly worked for a financial firm on the 104th floor of the North Tower. A dedicated sailing enthusiast and member of the Centerport Yacht Club his family honors his memory through a "Living Memorial" hosted by the Voices Center for Resilience in Long Island, NY.

Larry Senko (Class of '89)
After playing football for Saint Francis, Senko went onto a successful career in corporate recruiting. As vice president of his New York office, he worked on the 102nd floor of the North Tower. He had just booked plans to take his wife and one year old son to Disney World.

Mary Ellen Tiesi (Class of '84)
A native of Irvona in Clearfield County, Tiesi worked on the 105th floor of the South Tower. She heroically waited to evacuate the building in order to assist her employer and others to safety. Pennsylvania lawmakers officially redesignated a bridge on State Route 53 over Clearfield Creek as the Mary Ellen Tiesi Memorial 9-11 Bridge.

Rob Zampieri (Class of '94). 
Working as an Asian markets foreign exchange commodities trader, Zampieri was on the 92 floor of the North tower. He normally worked the night shift, but was unfortunately reassigned to the day shift the week of September 11.