STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Margaret "Peggy" Jezycki Alario's husband was planning to surprise her with theater tickets and a Manhattan dinner for her birthday the week after the World Trade Center attack.
Mrs. Alario, 41, worked at Zurich American Insurance Company as a global products manager at 1 Liberty Plaza. But on the morning of Sept. 11 she was on the 105th floor of 2 World Trade Center for a meeting.
She had planned to leave after the meeting, returning to Staten Island for the afternoon. She had a personal commitment that she didn't want to break. But she never made it back to her home on Lighthouse Hill.
When she left she said, " 'I love you and I'll see you this afternoon,' " said James Alario, her husband. "That was the last time I saw her."
Though she did call her mother from the 90th floor and said she was safe, her family never heard from her again. She is now among the thousands who are missing.
The mother of two young boys, Mrs. Alario seemed to balance it all. She was a career woman who landed a high-powered job for a world-renowned insurance company. Prior to being hired by Zurich in 1998, she worked for Cigna Insurance Co., Manhattan, and American International Group, Manhattan. "She would work 12-hour days, come home and jog and then take care of the kids," her husband said. "She was incredible."
Though she was constantly striving for success at work and moving up the corporate ladder, her family was always her first priority.
"No matter what time she came home at night she always made the last few innings of every game (her kids played)," said Patricia Lambo, a friend whom Mrs. Alario met in kindergarten.
Mrs. Alario never missed a Saturday night with her kids. Every week the family went to an evening mass at St. Patrick's R.C. Church in Richmond and then out for dinner -- a ritual she loved.
On the Saturday before the attack, the Alarios hosted a 13th birthday party for their son, James Jr., an annual tradition she created for both sons' birthdays. It was the last time that most of her extended family and friends saw her. Her younger son, Dante, is 9.
Mrs. Alario loved entertaining at home. Her specialty cupcakes topped with crushed Oreo cookies were always on the menu for birthdays and anniversaries. "It was the only thing she knew how to make," her husband said, with tears in his eyes.
Born Peggy Jezycki in Rosebank, Mrs. Alario moved to New Springville in 1983 when she married and lived there for 10 years before relocating to Lighthouse Hill with her family.
She graduated from Curtis High School in 1977 and then took college-level business courses at several institutions, including the College of Staten Island and the College of Insurance in Manhattan.
Mrs. Alario loved to dance, jog in her neighborhood, listen to music and sit on the beach. She met her husband on the dance floor at a nightclub in Hampton Bays, a beach resort on Long Island, and the two quickly fell for one another. "It was July 10th at 10 to four," Mr. Alario said of their introduction. "It was the last dance." The couple had since spent a week each summer at Cape May, N.J., Mrs. Alario's favorite vacation spot, or at Ocean City, Md., where she would stay on the beach until the sun went down whenever she could.
Mrs. Alario and her friend, Ms. Lambo, shared everything, including the Rod Stewart concerts they never missed.
"We've been friends for 37 years," Ms. Lambo said. "She was not just my best friend, she was my sister."
Her husband described her as a "natural beauty," who never needed makeup. In addition to her husband, James, and her two sons, James and Dante, Mrs. Alario is survived by her parents, Stephen and Katherine Jezycki, and two brothers, Stephen and Michael Jezycki.
A memorial mass will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. in St. Joseph's R.C. Church, Rosebank.
Mrs. Alario, 41, worked at Zurich American Insurance Company as a global products manager at 1 Liberty Plaza. But on the morning of Sept. 11 she was on the 105th floor of 2 World Trade Center for a meeting.
She had planned to leave after the meeting, returning to Staten Island for the afternoon. She had a personal commitment that she didn't want to break. But she never made it back to her home on Lighthouse Hill.
When she left she said, " 'I love you and I'll see you this afternoon,' " said James Alario, her husband. "That was the last time I saw her."
Though she did call her mother from the 90th floor and said she was safe, her family never heard from her again. She is now among the thousands who are missing.
The mother of two young boys, Mrs. Alario seemed to balance it all. She was a career woman who landed a high-powered job for a world-renowned insurance company. Prior to being hired by Zurich in 1998, she worked for Cigna Insurance Co., Manhattan, and American International Group, Manhattan. "She would work 12-hour days, come home and jog and then take care of the kids," her husband said. "She was incredible."
Though she was constantly striving for success at work and moving up the corporate ladder, her family was always her first priority.
"No matter what time she came home at night she always made the last few innings of every game (her kids played)," said Patricia Lambo, a friend whom Mrs. Alario met in kindergarten.
Mrs. Alario never missed a Saturday night with her kids. Every week the family went to an evening mass at St. Patrick's R.C. Church in Richmond and then out for dinner -- a ritual she loved.
On the Saturday before the attack, the Alarios hosted a 13th birthday party for their son, James Jr., an annual tradition she created for both sons' birthdays. It was the last time that most of her extended family and friends saw her. Her younger son, Dante, is 9.
Mrs. Alario loved entertaining at home. Her specialty cupcakes topped with crushed Oreo cookies were always on the menu for birthdays and anniversaries. "It was the only thing she knew how to make," her husband said, with tears in his eyes.
Born Peggy Jezycki in Rosebank, Mrs. Alario moved to New Springville in 1983 when she married and lived there for 10 years before relocating to Lighthouse Hill with her family.
She graduated from Curtis High School in 1977 and then took college-level business courses at several institutions, including the College of Staten Island and the College of Insurance in Manhattan.
Mrs. Alario loved to dance, jog in her neighborhood, listen to music and sit on the beach. She met her husband on the dance floor at a nightclub in Hampton Bays, a beach resort on Long Island, and the two quickly fell for one another. "It was July 10th at 10 to four," Mr. Alario said of their introduction. "It was the last dance." The couple had since spent a week each summer at Cape May, N.J., Mrs. Alario's favorite vacation spot, or at Ocean City, Md., where she would stay on the beach until the sun went down whenever she could.
Mrs. Alario and her friend, Ms. Lambo, shared everything, including the Rod Stewart concerts they never missed.
"We've been friends for 37 years," Ms. Lambo said. "She was not just my best friend, she was my sister."
Her husband described her as a "natural beauty," who never needed makeup. In addition to her husband, James, and her two sons, James and Dante, Mrs. Alario is survived by her parents, Stephen and Katherine Jezycki, and two brothers, Stephen and Michael Jezycki.
A memorial mass will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. in St. Joseph's R.C. Church, Rosebank.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Margaret "Peggy" Jezycki Alario's husband was planning to surprise her with theater tickets and a Manhattan dinner for her birthday the week after the World Trade Center attack.
Mrs. Alario, 41, worked at Zurich American Insurance Company as a global products manager at 1 Liberty Plaza. But on the morning of Sept. 11 she was on the 105th floor of 2 World Trade Center for a meeting.
She had planned to leave after the meeting, returning to Staten Island for the afternoon. She had a personal commitment that she didn't want to break. But she never made it back to her home on Lighthouse Hill.
When she left she said, " 'I love you and I'll see you this afternoon,' " said James Alario, her husband. "That was the last time I saw her."
Though she did call her mother from the 90th floor and said she was safe, her family never heard from her again. She is now among the thousands who are missing.
The mother of two young boys, Mrs. Alario seemed to balance it all. She was a career woman who landed a high-powered job for a world-renowned insurance company. Prior to being hired by Zurich in 1998, she worked for Cigna Insurance Co., Manhattan, and American International Group, Manhattan. "She would work 12-hour days, come home and jog and then take care of the kids," her husband said. "She was incredible."
Though she was constantly striving for success at work and moving up the corporate ladder, her family was always her first priority.
"No matter what time she came home at night she always made the last few innings of every game (her kids played)," said Patricia Lambo, a friend whom Mrs. Alario met in kindergarten.
Mrs. Alario never missed a Saturday night with her kids. Every week the family went to an evening mass at St. Patrick's R.C. Church in Richmond and then out for dinner -- a ritual she loved.
On the Saturday before the attack, the Alarios hosted a 13th birthday party for their son, James Jr., an annual tradition she created for both sons' birthdays. It was the last time that most of her extended family and friends saw her. Her younger son, Dante, is 9.
Mrs. Alario loved entertaining at home. Her specialty cupcakes topped with crushed Oreo cookies were always on the menu for birthdays and anniversaries. "It was the only thing she knew how to make," her husband said, with tears in his eyes.
Born Peggy Jezycki in Rosebank, Mrs. Alario moved to New Springville in 1983 when she married and lived there for 10 years before relocating to Lighthouse Hill with her family.
She graduated from Curtis High School in 1977 and then took college-level business courses at several institutions, including the College of Staten Island and the College of Insurance in Manhattan.
Mrs. Alario loved to dance, jog in her neighborhood, listen to music and sit on the beach. She met her husband on the dance floor at a nightclub in Hampton Bays, a beach resort on Long Island, and the two quickly fell for one another. "It was July 10th at 10 to four," Mr. Alario said of their introduction. "It was the last dance." The couple had since spent a week each summer at Cape May, N.J., Mrs. Alario's favorite vacation spot, or at Ocean City, Md., where she would stay on the beach until the sun went down whenever she could.
Mrs. Alario and her friend, Ms. Lambo, shared everything, including the Rod Stewart concerts they never missed.
"We've been friends for 37 years," Ms. Lambo said. "She was not just my best friend, she was my sister."
Her husband described her as a "natural beauty," who never needed makeup. In addition to her husband, James, and her two sons, James and Dante, Mrs. Alario is survived by her parents, Stephen and Katherine Jezycki, and two brothers, Stephen and Michael Jezycki.
A memorial mass will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. in St. Joseph's R.C. Church, Rosebank.
Mrs. Alario, 41, worked at Zurich American Insurance Company as a global products manager at 1 Liberty Plaza. But on the morning of Sept. 11 she was on the 105th floor of 2 World Trade Center for a meeting.
She had planned to leave after the meeting, returning to Staten Island for the afternoon. She had a personal commitment that she didn't want to break. But she never made it back to her home on Lighthouse Hill.
When she left she said, " 'I love you and I'll see you this afternoon,' " said James Alario, her husband. "That was the last time I saw her."
Though she did call her mother from the 90th floor and said she was safe, her family never heard from her again. She is now among the thousands who are missing.
The mother of two young boys, Mrs. Alario seemed to balance it all. She was a career woman who landed a high-powered job for a world-renowned insurance company. Prior to being hired by Zurich in 1998, she worked for Cigna Insurance Co., Manhattan, and American International Group, Manhattan. "She would work 12-hour days, come home and jog and then take care of the kids," her husband said. "She was incredible."
Though she was constantly striving for success at work and moving up the corporate ladder, her family was always her first priority.
"No matter what time she came home at night she always made the last few innings of every game (her kids played)," said Patricia Lambo, a friend whom Mrs. Alario met in kindergarten.
Mrs. Alario never missed a Saturday night with her kids. Every week the family went to an evening mass at St. Patrick's R.C. Church in Richmond and then out for dinner -- a ritual she loved.
On the Saturday before the attack, the Alarios hosted a 13th birthday party for their son, James Jr., an annual tradition she created for both sons' birthdays. It was the last time that most of her extended family and friends saw her. Her younger son, Dante, is 9.
Mrs. Alario loved entertaining at home. Her specialty cupcakes topped with crushed Oreo cookies were always on the menu for birthdays and anniversaries. "It was the only thing she knew how to make," her husband said, with tears in his eyes.
Born Peggy Jezycki in Rosebank, Mrs. Alario moved to New Springville in 1983 when she married and lived there for 10 years before relocating to Lighthouse Hill with her family.
She graduated from Curtis High School in 1977 and then took college-level business courses at several institutions, including the College of Staten Island and the College of Insurance in Manhattan.
Mrs. Alario loved to dance, jog in her neighborhood, listen to music and sit on the beach. She met her husband on the dance floor at a nightclub in Hampton Bays, a beach resort on Long Island, and the two quickly fell for one another. "It was July 10th at 10 to four," Mr. Alario said of their introduction. "It was the last dance." The couple had since spent a week each summer at Cape May, N.J., Mrs. Alario's favorite vacation spot, or at Ocean City, Md., where she would stay on the beach until the sun went down whenever she could.
Mrs. Alario and her friend, Ms. Lambo, shared everything, including the Rod Stewart concerts they never missed.
"We've been friends for 37 years," Ms. Lambo said. "She was not just my best friend, she was my sister."
Her husband described her as a "natural beauty," who never needed makeup. In addition to her husband, James, and her two sons, James and Dante, Mrs. Alario is survived by her parents, Stephen and Katherine Jezycki, and two brothers, Stephen and Michael Jezycki.
A memorial mass will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. in St. Joseph's R.C. Church, Rosebank.
