A sister remembers John G. Scharf

John G. Scharf, 29, of Manorville, was an electrical engineer with Leibert Global Services. He was working on a service call at Aon Corp. in the south tower.

A sister remembers

When Christine Scharf Meyer first heard about the World Trade Center attacks, she wasn't worried. After all, her brother didn't work there. He worked for a company based in Ohio and worked all over the area. What she didn't know is that he had been on a service call at the site that day.

"He was there the day before and couldn't complete his job because of a missing piece and had to go back on Sept. 11," Meyer said.

Although he was the second oldest of five children, John Scharf remained a kid at heart, said Meyer, 34, of Eastport.

At a family reunion in the summer of 2001, she said her brother, a former Marine, pulled out a water gun and sprayed his gang of nieces and nephews.

"The kids were shocked," she said. "He chased them around. They scattered. It just turned into a lot of fun."

Even though her brother is gone, she said, his spirit lives on in his only daughter, Momo, who is now 15 and living with her mother in Washington state.

Life without John Scharf has been difficult for every member of her family, particularly her father, who spoke to Scharf after the first hijacked plane struck, Meyer said.

"Me, there are days when you want to pick up the phone to call him and you remember you can't," Meyer said as she cried. "There are some months you can get by. When his daughter is here visiting, I am happiest. For me, it puts me in a peaceful place. I feel closer to John when Momo is around."

Scharf's remains were identified in August 2004, nearly three years after he was killed. His parents asked the authorities not to contact the family if they find additional remains.

"For my parents, it was something they couldn't deal with," Meyer said.-- Chau Lam