Posted by
Katie Favazza on Monday, September 11, 2006 12:48:57 PM
Monique Fowler-Paul, James R. Paul's daughter, was
interviewed in a BBC article in January 2005. The article focuses on the pain of loved ones deemed "missing, presumed dead" from the tsunami in Thailand and from the World Trade Center attacks. BBC's Jonathan Duffy explains:
...[Monique] reconciled herself to the belief his body had been [vaporized].
Then in early 2002, things began to change. His driving licence was retrieved from the ruins and returned, forcing Monique's family to [reopen] wounds that had only just started to heal.
"It felt like a punch in the stomach," says Monique, a PhD student in London. "This was not what I was looking for, but if that survived maybe his body did too."
Then his insurance card was found. It felt like a "tease[,]" says Monique. "This stuff is coming from the rubble so now I'm picturing his body in the rubble."
She called the uncertainty "interminable agony," hoping and fearing that the body of her father might be found. A few days before the first anniversary of September 11, 10% of her father's body was recovered and "the family [was] plunged back into turmoil." The Paul family had a burial ceremony and tried to bury some of their grief, but in April 2004, the rest of his body was recovered and a second burial ceremony occurred. This led to a relapse of post-traumatic stress for one of Monique's relatives. Lastly, Monique told BBC that the support of other families made all the difference:
"It helped tremendously that other people had been through what I'd been through. It fostered very close bonds."
Jim was a native of northern Kentucky and attended
St. Henry District High School. He went on to earn a BA in Economics and an MBA to prepare for his exciting career in futures.
Jim lived outside Chicago for twenty years with his wife and 2 daughters. His two passions were family and golf. His golf buddies formed a
memorial scholarship based on financial need, faith, scholarship, and
leadership qualities at his Catholic high school.
In Chicago, he was a trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, then worked for Dean Witter. He moved to an old and beautiful home near Gramercy Park in New York City in 1993, and at the time of his death, Jim was a senior vice president of the energy group at Carr Futures (now
Calyon Financial). He lectured to audiences worldwide at educational conferences and industry meetings.
At these conferences and meetings, Jim always made a lasting impression on his colleagues.
Dell Stine of Wichita Falls, TX recalls a World Trade Center meeting, and the lasting impact of Jim's advice on a guestbook entry at Legacy.com [emphasis my own]:
"What can this guy teach me? I can't even sell futures in my office
when I get back." That was what I muttered to the guy next to me on our
last day of training on the 63rd floor of WTC 2 in May of 2001. Wow,
what he did teach me! During that three week period I tried to take as
good of notes as I could, but sometimes I'd get bored. Jim came in the
room on our last day in a three piece suit - I even remember it was
brown. He started out and for nearly two hours held us - at least me -
spellbound with day-to-day business savvy. After about 30 minutes and
two pages of notes, I began to feel inadequate in my 'business casual'
and those of you that are reading this know what he felt about that.
During
his presentation, I took four pages of notes of which I still have:
dress sharp, send 5 thank you's a day - with a stamp. It goes on and
on. This one man made a very good impact on someone headed into what
has become a very difficult industry to survive. I wish I could thank
him personally - oh wait, I did! I mailed him a thank you note in June
of 2001. Then about late September of that year as I was going through
my contact manager, his name popped up. My heart sunk when I saw his
office address on 92nd floor WTC1. I called Carr and found out the
worst. Now two years later I still get heckled by co-workers for
wearing a tie and coat every day. I WIN! and it is because of Jim Paul.
Mary Haskins, a former co-worker of Jim's, also signed the Legacy.com guestbook. She called Jim a "great boss who cared for and took responsibility for his employees."
James Paul also wrote a book for his industry called, "What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars."
It is currently unavailable on Amazon.com, but it has received rave reviews from users on that site. Michael E. Strupp, of the U.S. Virgin Islands, writes:
"...this book should be required reading for anyone who thinks they 'wanna trade like the pros.'"
David Fugazzi, a man who attended high school with Jim but only saw him twice after graduation, also signed the Legacy.com guestbook:
"...the world is full of 'I wanna' type folks. Jim was one of the few 'I'm gonna' type folks, and he did."
Jim and Pat decided to search for a place to retire in 1999 and found a condo in Savannah, Georgia. It was the perfect place, they thought, because Jim could play golf there and Pat was interested in the city's unique culture, history, and architecture. "He was working very hard, six days a week, to make enough money to retire early. He wanted to have enough years and energy in him to play golf," said Pat to the
New York Times for their Portraits in Grief. Their tribute wrote:
That is how Mr. Paul, 58, lived his life: with one foot on the gas
pedal and the other on the brakes, making plans, but also letting his
impulses guide him. He drove too fast, skied even faster, and loved
being on top of the world, on the 92nd floor of 1 World Trade Center....
Jim was in a staff meeting on that 92nd floor when the plane hit. He and 68 other colleagues and friends at Carr Futures died as a result of these attacks, five years ago.
I am praying for Jim and his family. Five years later, he is not forgotten. We will never forget.