On April 15, a 110th anniversary remembrance of the Titanic disaster was held at the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse in New York City’s Seaport District. Adrian Saker, founder of the Friends of Titanic Lighthouse, related the history of the lighthouse, and described the restoration goals.

Descendant advocate Angelica Harris then related the story of Alberto and Sebastiano Peracchio, brothers who perished on Titanic. Anne McGovern shared her grandmother Mary’s story.Dave Gardner, host and guide of Titanic Walking Tours, spoke compellingly about the importance of the memorial to New York. Longtime supporter and donor Christie Seyglinski spoke of her passion for Titanic, and shared just some of her wonderful artifact collection.

After wreaths were laid, the April 15, 1913, dedication address by Reverend David Greer, Episcopal Bishop of New York, was followed by a minute of silence: “In memory of the engineers who sent their stokers up on deck while they went to certain death; of the heroic band of musicians who played even while the water crept up to their instruments; of the postal clerks who bravely put duty ahead of safety; of the Marconi operators; of the officers and crew who stayed by their ship. It will be given in memory of those in the steerage who perished without ever realizing their hopes in the new land, the America of endless possibilities. It will be given in memory of all the heroic deeds by first and second class passengers. In short, it will be a monument to every person without regard to rank, race, creed, or color, whose life went down when the giant vessel slipped beneath the waves.”

In the audience was Mary Meda and husband, her grandfather William George White a Titanic trimmer who survived.

Click here to learn more about the Friends of Titanic Lighthouse