West Springfield native remembered at 9/11 Ceremony

WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - On September 11, 2001, Melissa Harrington-Hughes was in a conference at the World Trade Center. While she was there, both of the Twin Towers were hit by hijacked jetliners, and the 31 year-old West Springfield native called her father on the phone for the last time.

Her father, Bob Harrington, knew there was nothing that he could do for his daughter, who was trapped in the soon-to-collapse building more than 100 miles away.

Harrington-Hughes was among the thousands who died that day.

To honor her, an eternal flame now burns at the Park Street Common. On Tuesday, Harrington-Hughes' father and other area residents gathered at the monument to remember her, and all the other victims of 9/11.

Bob Harrington told 22News that he is touched by the people who have been coming to this ceremony every year.

“It’s wonderful when the people and your friends in the town of West Springfield come out to appear, not only for my daughter, but for the other people who died that day,” Harrington said.

Eleven years later, though, the thought of his daughter still brings feelings of loss. “I’m sad because I haven’t been able to hold her in 11 years, and I haven’t been able to talk to her,” he said.

The Harrington family has set up a scholarship in Melissa's name. Last year, a $500 scholarship went to a girl from West Springfield and a $300 scholarship went to a boy from West Springfield. There is also a scholarship in her name at Dickinson University, her alma mater.

Her dad says it's comforting to know that Melissa's legacy will last forever.

The West Springfield ceremony was among several 9/11 remembrances held across western Massachusetts on Tuesday, including ones in Agawam, Springfield, Amherst, and Greenfield.