Stephen Siller, 34, was orphaned at 10 and raised by his brothers & sisters. He joined the FDNY in 1995. On the morning of September 11th, he had just finished the late shift and was on his way to meet his three older brothers for a round of golf when he heard about the attack on his scanner. He drove back to Squad 1 instead and picked up his gear but he couldn’t get into Manhattan because the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was closed by then. So he parked his truck and was last seen running through the tunnel, 60 pounds of gear strapped to his back.
Siller had five children aged 9 years to 9 months and 21 nieces and nephews. His wife wrote: “He lived life to the fullest. People meant everything to him.” His wife and siblings founded the “Tunnel to Towers Foundation” which hosts what has now become the largest 5k run in the world, retracing his run through the tunnel and ending up at Ground Zero. It takes place on the last Sunday in September. In 2013 there were 25,000 runners from around the world. To date the foundation has raised more than $35 million that is used for causes like scholarships and helping wounded soldiers. His remains have not been found.