Highlights
- Maureen Geraghty of Glendale lost brother-in-law Thomas DeAngelis and brother Edward Geraghty on Sept. 11, 2001.
- A third family member, brother Stephen Geraghty, died four years ago from 9/11-related health complications after working at Ground Zero.
- Geraghty hosted a public healing event Friday at New Vision Center for Spiritual Living to mark the 25th anniversary.
- Radio recordings captured Edward Geraghty's final words as he climbed toward a colleague on a higher floor of the tower.
A Glendale woman who lost two family members on September 11, 2001, and a third to the attack's long aftermath, shared her story publicly for the first time Friday, marking the 25th anniversary of the tragedy.
Maureen Geraghty lost her brother-in-law, Thomas DeAngelis, and her brother, Edward Geraghty, both New York City Fire Department chiefs, on the day of the attacks, according to Arizona's Family. A phone call from New York that morning told her the family had accounted for most relatives, but not Tommy or Eddie. She flew back to New York and waited with her family for weeks before traveling to Ground Zero to say goodbye.
Geraghty later learned Thomas DeAngelis died inside a hotel between the towers. Through radio recordings, she pieced together her brother Edward's final moments: on the 40th floor, he had established a triage area and was in contact with another fire chief on a higher floor. His last recorded words were a response to that chief's request that he come up.
Four years ago, Geraghty's brother Stephen Geraghty, also a fire chief, died from 9/11-related health complications after spending hours at Ground Zero following the attacks. The source notes he was one of more than 9,000 people who have died because of the aftermath.
Fox 10 Phoenix also covered Geraghty's story Friday, identifying her as the sister of three fallen FDNY firefighters hosting the anniversary event.
Geraghty commemorated the anniversary by organizing an event titled "The Choice on 9/12: A Healing Experience" at New Vision Center for Spiritual Living in the Phoenix area. She said she chose to share her story as a message of love and unity.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 12/09/2026 04:39
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 12/09/2026 04:39. Every claim traces to a source.
