Christopher Zarba 9/11/01

I have the honor of paying tribute to Christopher Zarba.  He was 47 years old on 9/11, he was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11.  He was a talented pianist and French horn player who performed with local symphonies in his free time.  Christopher Zarba came from a musical family.  He worked as a software engineer for a communications firm but music also played a significant role in his life.  His wife Sheila was a fellow horn player, they had a son.  He loved his son and had been making a video to show to his son when he was older.  His family has edited it and shared it on youtube.  A great man and father.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdNVoXrpSGg

At left is a shot of a memorial with Chris's name on the right.  The person that took the picture posted it on Legacy with the message below.  Thank you for sharing it: Earlier this year, I visited the 9/11 Memorial in Jerusalem, Israel. It is entitled: A Reminder of Shared Loss and a Call for Peace Among Nations. This memorial, dedicated by the Blank family of NYC, was one of the first major international memorials to mark the tragedy and honor the memory of its victims. The bronze sculpture depicts a waving American flag which evolves into a memorial flame. It is 30 feet high and rests on a base of gray granite, part of which came from the original Twin Towers of the World Trade Center destroyed in the mammoth airliner attack on September 11, 2001. The sculpture is surrounded by a circular, crater-like plaza and reflection area, tiled in stone, where the names of every victim of the attack (nearly 3,000) are etched in stone. There I found Chris’ name and would like to share that photo with the community here. Rina
Below are some of the other messages and memories that have been left for him on Legacy.com.  Something that I just learned about the Legacy, all of the 9/11 tributes will be on their site for free, forever.
Christopher R. Zarba Jr. was born in East Boston, MA and lived on Leyden St. He attended St. Lazarus School and Boston Latin. Graduated from Tufts College and Lowell State College. He was a Software Engineer. He was an accomplished musician playing french horn, piano and organ. He leaves wife Sheila, a son Christopher a brother Joseph and a father Christopher. He was a highly respected and dearly loved.

Franklin Zarba
To the Zarba Family: I was blessed to have played with Chris in the Norton Singers and Chaminade Pit Orchestra and in a lovely woodwind quintet that used to rehearse in the Brannan Flute Factory in Woburn. My thoughts were with you all yesterday, 10 years and the memories of how great Chris was will always be with us. Fondly, Katherine Williams McWilliams, Bassoonist
Thinking of you on this day of observance of the worst of humankind. With love and God Bless
You at the time, Granite street neighbors.  Weir family.
Gone but not forgotten. As we approach the tenth commemoration of that sunny Tuesday morning when Christopher met his fellow musicians of the heavenly orchestra, we smile at memories of him and think warmly of the loving family members left behind. Someday we will be reunited and the brass players from Tufts will once again offer our serenades in splendid harmony.  David Hastings
I still think of Chris often, especially when I hear music that we played together with the TSO. I remember exchanging stories about our baby boys and proud he was of Chris. It is happy day today to know that Osama bin Laden is gone.  Judy Schmitz
Chris and I worked together many years ago at Blue Cross/Blue Shield. We often went to Chinatown for Dim Sum at lunch. One day he took a dish of dark gnarled little bits off of the server's tray. I asked what it was and as he put the dish on our table, committing us, the waiter cheerfully replied, "Chicken feet." It became our joke, drawing chicken feet on scraps of paper and tossing them over the cubicle wall. Then I moved to Texas and we wrote for awhile before losing touch. I was excited to look him up when we moved back, but he was gone. And yes, Chris ate those chicken feet at the restaurant that day, I just couldn't.

Sarah Michael
It's been seven years, and I am still saddened by Chris's death. Those who worked with Chris at Concord were devastated. I just want to assure Chris's family that he is not forgotten. Matt Baddeley
My Dear Nephew Christopher: Five years, and still I find my conversations with you are continuing - there is no need for words, sometimes they come and sometimes they fail me. But, we are still here knowing that you have something to do with every good thing that happens in our lives. You were always quiet, but you were always visible, now you are more verbal and visible...funny, but you were always full of surprises. We love you. Your Dad and brother reflect you more and more and a new baby girl is coming for your brother Joe and Helen - I tell them it is your gift of love. God Keep you safe for us. Kisses and Hugs, Aunt Rina
 I worked with Chris at Data General and had kept in touch with him after that.
The loss of Chris is a loss for all of us. A very talented person, very intelligent, very patient, and yet very modest, Chris always had time for people and always shared his smile. What I remember most about Chris was how the birth of his son Christopher impacted him. Chris adored his son and valued every second they could spend together. While he will now grow up without his father, Christopher should know just how much his father loved him. Chris' values were a model for all of us. We are all worse off now that Chris is gone.
David Lawler