Sussex graduate who died during 9/11 remembered by father

Karlie Rogers, a University of Sussex graduate, was one of 67 Brits who died in the terrorist attack in New York on September 11, 2001.

The 26-year-old was attending a Financial Technology Congress at Windows On The World on the 106th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

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At 8.46am, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into building, killing Karlie, 15 other employees of the Risk Waters Group and all 71 of the delegates attending the conference.

Twenty years on, Karlie’s father Keith Rogers says at just 26 years old, his daughter had so much more life to live.

“She was just starting out on a life that should have been filled with adventure, love, laughter, fun and undoubtedly the patter of little footsteps,” he said.

Karlie Rogers was killed during the 9/11 attacks in 2001

“She was madly in love with her boyfriend Will and he took her to Heathrow on the Saturday afternoon to catch her flight and saw her off. He was never to see her again. Never to share that life with her.”

In a statement released by Risk Waters, Keith said Karlie inadvertently saved one man’s life that morning after politely turning him away as he attempted to enter the conference without a ticket.

“He now calls her his guardian angel,” Keith said. “He and his wife and their two lovely daughters are eternally grateful that she did.

“This year they will have enjoyed 20 years of family life as result of her actions and they say they are all totally indebted to her. Her legacy to them.”

Karlie graduated from the University of Sussex in 1997 with a degree in German.

Keith said newer members of the Rogers family are constantly reminded of Karlie’s life.

Karlie Rogers was killed during the 9/11 attacks in 2001

“None of this generation met Karlie, but hopefully over time their parents and grandparents will make sure that they know all about her and make sure that in the next 20 years she is not forgotten,” he said.

In remembrance of 20 years since the attacks, the Rogers family are due to meet at the memorial gardens in Grosvenor Square in London to discuss their memories of Karlie.

“Tell stories to those that never met Karlie and strangely laugh a lot, because that was her way,” he said.

“Laugh and have fun. But that is what will be so heartbreaking - in those little pauses in between, we will stand silently and realise again that Karlie and those times are gone, gone for ever, and we will all shed tears.

“Fly high our lovely girl, your family, friends and the rest of the world have been robbed of 20 years of your beauty, mischievousness and just downright fun and love.”

Since her death, the family have raised money for Yeovil Hospital - where Karlie was born - which funded special heart monitor machines for newborn babies.

They also raised funds for the first responders who rushed to the Twin Towers on the day of the attacks.

“Hopefully this has in some small way helped those grieving families to get through these 20 years. A legacy from her,” Keith said.

“Thanks to their efforts and the advances of science they have managed to find and identify the remains of lost loved ones and returned them to the grieving families with the dignity they rightly deserved.

“Unfortunately, in these 20 years, we have not been one of those families.”