Family of Mark Jardim Responds to Death of bin Laden

Mark Steven Jardim, 39, was a former Cheshire resident and graduate of Cheshire High School who was killed in the World Trade Center bombings.

His widow, Jennifer Jardim, wrote to Cheshire Patch on Monday,  on behalf of the family, in response to the death of Osama bin Laden.

"The pain and sadness we feel every day over the loss of our dear son, brother and husband, Mark, is all the more heightened today. While nothing can bring him and all those other innocent lives lost on 9/11 back to us, we do feel a sense of satisfaction and relief knowing that the long sought-after goal of capturing Osama bin Laden has, at last, been accomplished." 

"We are extremely grateful and proud of our leaders and our military for their tenacious and heroic efforts, but realize that the fight against terrorism and evil must continue with sustained focus and vigilance.

"It is hard to believe that almost 10 years have passed since that fateful day, but it is heartening to feel the ongoing support and love from all of Mark's friends, as evidenced in part by the support for the annual Mark Jardim Memorial Jog in Cheshire."

"Let us continue to honor Mark, all the victims of 9/11 and its aftermath, our armed forces, and all those worldwide who continue to fight for freedom, tolerance, and justice."

Classmate Ed Gilhuly said there is some consolation in bin Laden's death.

"It is a just end for a deeply evil guy.  For so many people who lost family and friends in 9/11, and other terrorist attacks he orchestrated, this is clearly a significant emotional consolation," Gilhuly wrote.

"And of course it is a giant success -- on a practical and symbolic level -- for the overall effort against terrorism around the world," Gilhuly continued. "It's a great example of pulling off an extremely dangerous and difficult operation, and I'm glad our country has the capabilities and the leadership to make this happen: from the special ops military teams who conducted the raid, to President Obama who made the final judgments and decisions, and to all the people in between."

For a decade Jardim's friends have organized a memorial 5k run at Cheshire Park where runners follow the same trails Mark trained on as a member of the high school's cross country team. 

To learn more about this year's event to be held on October 9, click here: http://www.markjardimmemorialjog.org/index.html

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy released this statement late Sunday:

"The news tonight that Osama bin Laden has been killed is 10 years in the making. As mayor of Stamford on 9/11, I remember waiting on the train platform there as scared, confused, and overwhelmed commuters made their way home, none of us fully understanding what had just happened. I also cannot forget the Connecticut residents we lost that day. Over the last decade, Connecticut men and women have served our country honorably, and some have made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. This news is a testament to the hard work, dedication and perseverance of our Armed Forces and our country."

A memorial for the 148 Connecticut victims of 9/11, which lists the names of those killed,  is located at Sherwood Island State Park in Westport.

Here are their names:

First Row of Stones (South looking toward monument)            

Richard M. Keane  ·  Peter R. Kellerman  ·  Stacey Leigh Sanders  ·  Joshua Piver  ·  Lawrence Getzfred  ·  Jonathan J. Uman  ·  Scott Thomas Coleman  ·  Keith Eugene Coleman  ·  Richard S. Gabrielle  ·  Thomas M. Brennan  ·  Ronald Gilligan  ·  Jeffrey D. Bittner  ·  John Fiorito  ·  William J. Meehan, Jr.  ·  Eskedar Melaku  ·  Glenn Davis Kirwin  ·  Joel Miller  ·  Adam J. Lewis  ·  Michael M. Miller  ·  Steven Lawrence Glick  ·  Eamon McEneaney  ·  Craig William Staub  ·  James Thomas Waters, Jr.  ·  Frederick Varacchi  ·  James Andrew O'Grady  ·  Edward "Teddy" F. Maloney  ·  Charles A. Zion  ·  Michael J. Lyons  ·  Amy King  ·  Michael C. Farrou  ·  Heather L. Smith  ·  Raymond Joseph Metz, III  ·  Jason E. Sabbag  ·  Candace Lee Williams  ·  Maurice Patrick Kelly  ·  Peter Alan Gay  ·  Stephen Lamantia  ·  Thomas E. Galvin 

Second Row of Stones (South toward monument)
Francis Henry (Frank) Brennan  ·  Thomas Anthony Palazzo  ·  James A. Greenleaf, Jr.  ·  Mike A. Pelletier  ·  Michael C. Rothberg  ·  David H. Winton  ·  Allen V. Upton  ·  Peter C. Fry  ·  Kevin P. Connors  ·  Christopher William White Murphy  ·  Madeline Sweeney  ·  Cheryl Ann Monyak  ·  Francis McGuinn  ·  Ada Maason  ·  Robert A. Lawrence, Jr.  ·  Martin Phillips Wohlforth  ·  Joseph A. Lenihan  ·  Jesus Sanchez  ·  Amy E. Toyen  ·  Jeffrey David Wiener  ·  Cesar A. Murillo  ·  Gary E. Lasko  ·  Margaret Quinn Orloske  ·  Derek J. Statkevicus  ·  Randy Scott  ·  Lindsay S. Morehouse  ·  Dianne Bullis Snyder  ·  Sean P. Rooney  ·  George E. Spencer, III  ·  Christopher Orgielewicz  ·  Garry W. Lozier  ·  Gregory T. Spagnoletti  ·  Jude Moussa  ·  James Matthew Patrick  ·  Sean Schielke  ·  Tyler Ugolyn  ·  Ulf Ramm Ericson  ·  Juan Ceballos 

Third Row of Stones (second from right looking toward monument)
Edwin J. Graf, III  ·  Timothy John Hargrave  ·  Christopher W. Wodenshek  ·  Dolores Costa  ·  Geoffrey W. Cloud  ·  Edward T. Fergus, Jr.  ·  Michael Egan  ·  Bradley Fetchet  ·  Andrew Stergiopoulos  ·  James D. Halvorson  ·  John Bruce Eagleson  ·  Edward Calderon  ·  Margaret Connor  ·  Peter Gelinas  ·  Paul M. Fiori  ·  Robert Higley, II  ·  Robert W. Noonan  ·  Michael Grady Jacobs  ·  Patrick Danahy  ·  Christopher Samuel Gardner  ·  Robert Gerlich  ·  John Works  ·  Laurence Abel  ·  John P. Williamson  ·  Michael John Simon  ·  Kiran Kumar Reddy Gopu  ·  John Henwood  ·  Judith Florence Hofmiller  ·  Bradley H. Vadas  ·  Bryan C. Bennett  ·  Timothy M. O'Brien  ·  Kevin Michael McCarthy  ·  Thomas Edward Hynes  ·  John F. Iskyan  ·  H. Joseph Heller  ·  Stephen P. Cherry  ·  Edward Raymond Vanacore  ·  Eric B. Evans 

Fourth Row of Stones (far right row when looking toward monument)
Paul Curioli  ·  Scott J. O'Brien  ·  William Christopher Hunt  ·  Alexander Braginski  ·  Paul R. Hughes  ·  Donald F. Greene  ·  Pedry Grehan  ·  Edward P. York  ·  James J. Hobin  ·  Ruth McCourt  ·  Juliana McCourt  ·  Osseni Mama Garba  ·  William Hill Kelly, Jr.  ·  Brian Thomas Cummins  ·  Eric (Rick) R. Thorpe  ·  Sandra Campbell  ·  John B. Schwartz  ·  Bennett Lawson Fisher  ·  Mark Steven Jardim  ·  Joseph John Coppo  ·  Richard Peter Gabriel, Sr.  ·  Allen Patrick Boyle  ·  Christopher J. Blackwell, FDNY  ·  Roger Mark Rasweiler  ·  Evan Hunter Gillette  ·  Peter Burton Hanson  ·  Sue Kim Hanson  ·  Christine Lee Hanson  ·  Jean Destrehan Roger  ·  Sean S. Hanley  ·  Wilder A. Gomez  ·  Robert Thomas Jordan  ·  Wendy R. Faulkner  ·  Michael G. McGinty  ·  Michele Heidenberger  ·  Daniel Robert Nolan  ·  James A. Gadiel  ·  Thomas F. Theurkauf, Jr.