WORCESTER, Mass. - "Goodbye everyone. I love you and will miss you very much, Love mommy, xoxo, kisses and hugs." 

That's the message on a note Tara Creamer left her family on the morning of September 11, 2001. 

What You Need To Know

  • Tara Creamer was born in Westfield and was living in Worcester when she died
  • Cramer died on September 11, 2001 while on American Airlines Flight 11
  • Besides her husband and children Tara left behind five siblings and her dad 
  • Some of Tara's remains were found and buried in St. John's Cemetery 

Tara boarded American Airlines Flight 11, for a rare business trip, but never made it to her destination on the west coast.

“We had a wonderful life and it was just instantly gone," John Creamer, Tara's husband, said. 

At 8:46 a.m., hijackers crashed Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Everyone on board was lost.

“It was a compete whirlwind from that point on and it didn’t settle down for years," John Creamer said. 

Tara was 30 years old, leaving behind her husband and her two children, Colin and Nora.

John says Tara was a wonderful wife, friend, and dedicated mother. So dedicated, she left behind a schedule with her kids daily routine. Colin was four when his dad had to tell him his mom wasn’t coming home.

“He brought me into their room and he just told me kind of matter of factly," Colin said. "I just remember breaking down in tears, kind of in confusion and then kind of that it just kinda went black."

In the 20 years that have passed since the terrible day, the Creamer family says they’ve been able to move forward with the help of others in the Worcester community.

“The outpouring at that time, I remember very, very clearly and how good people were," John said. "I can’t thank people enough."

John had help from family, too. His parents stepped in to help raise Colin and Nora. Later, he met Tina and her two children. The couple has now been married for 12 years. However, even with time, the pain from the attacks still lingers.

“I always will feel anger. It wasn’t an accident where she lost her life," John said. "It was an intentional event where we lost her for no reason."

And although the Creamers say the anniversary of 9/11 is always tough, it’s a day to remember Tara’s light.

“Being the 20th anniversary, I try to focus on the positives," John said. "I know Tara would and I think she does look down on her children like an angel and she’s with them. She’s with them through good and bad times. I know she’s proud of them, because I am."

“ At this point in my life, I feel her spirit is with me at all times," Colin said. "I honor her on that day."