This year, in memory of the 9/11 attacks on America, I am writing a tribute to Danielle Delie. Danielle was 47 when she was taken from us.
I am sad to say that I did not have a long time to research Danielle. I found out about the opportunity to write a tribute on Wednesday night. Given more time, I would have liked to speak to her family. I was not able to put it all together with personal interviews. In my research, though, I did learn the following things about this beautiful woman:
Danielle was known for her joyful disposition and her ever-present smile. Even friends who had not seen her in 30 years remembered her golden smile.
Danielle was the kind of friend who inspired trust. She valued relationships and her friends knew they were loved.
She was not just personable, she was genuine. Known for her warm heart, Danielle Delie was the kind fo person you would want to be around. On her Legacy.com tribute page (linked below) Raymond Brown, of New York, said this of her:
She possessed the rare talent of combining poise and elegance with a complete lack of pretension and true generosity of spirit. A simple conversation among friends was one of her greatest delights, and it became something special when she took part.
Danielle was smart and strong. She spoke two languages fluently, English and French. She had a talent for eloquent writing and would complete the NYT crossword puzzle in ink.
As I looked for information about her, I wondered what Danielle would be doing today. Some things probably would not change: She would encourage and support her family and friends, she would care for her pets. Would she still be working? If so, at the same job? Would she still live in the city or would she have moved to the country, or even to France? With her mastery of words, would she have written a book?
We don't know, because she was taken from us on September 11th, 2001.
I have plenty of questions and curiosities, but there is something I know for sure: She would have continued to have a great impact on the lives around her. In finding tributes about her and reading what others said, I found a lot to admire about this woman. If you knew Danielle, I encourage you to add a comment to this post. If you did not know her, read the links below--you will find, like me, that you wish you had known her.
Other tributes to Danielle:
