Widow of WTC victim commits suicide

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Widow of Trade Center Victim Commits Suicide

STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A 51-year-old woman whose friends say had been depressed since her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Center committed suicide this week, authorities said Wednesday.

Pat Flounders, 51, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at her home Monday, Monroe County Coroner Dave Thomas said. Her body was found by a friend.

Her husband, Joe Flounders, 46, worked for Euro Brokers Inc. on the 84th floor of trade center's South Tower, the second skyscraper struck by hijackers Sept. 11.

Pat Flounders had said she was at home watching television when she saw a jet hit the North Tower. She called her husband and told him to leave, but was later told by one of her husband's colleagues that he stayed behind to assist a co-worker who went into shock.

"She was so distraught. She just lost her will to live, she lost hope," said Kelly Lewis, who helped Pat Flounders gather personal documents after her husband's death.

Flounders was also in poor health and was recovering from surgery in which she had a pacemaker implanted, Lewis said. She refused the offers of free counseling that were made to families of trade center victims.

The couple had moved to Monroe County from New York three years ago.

Pat Flounders held a memorial for her husband last week in New York, which was attended by friends and former co-workers, but she remained despondent.

Her husband's death "was just so hard for her; he was taking care of her, he took care of all the financial matters," Lewis said. "He was only a few years from retirement and they were really looking forward to it."

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Answers

This is so sad. I wonder how many more of these we will hear about.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

I feel so bad for them all, we can all empathize with the families, but we are NOT them, and we just cannot know the anguish that just doesn't end.

-- Anonymous, December 12, 2001

Still, I have this thing about suicide, and karma. They say it's always darkest before the dawn, but we have to push through that dark time to reach the light. Giving up is not good karma, I think, and I pray I will always have just enough courage to trudge on, even when I feel that all may be lost. Sychronisity is a marvelous thing, always giving us something new, just around the bend, just over the next hill.

-- Anonymous, December 13, 2001

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