William Valcarcel’s family, friends, and coworkers will forever remember his light-headed nature and his humor.
“He would introduce himself as the ‘most handsome man on crutches’,” his eldest daughter Lisa Valcarcel-Serrano recalled. “If anybody asked, ‘Did you know Bill?’ they might say, I’m not sure if I know anybody by that name – but if somebody said, ‘Do you know the most handsome man on crutches?’ they immediately knew.”
Valcarcel, who worked for the Department of Taxation and Finance on the 87th floor of the World Trade Center, had polio and was paraplegic. Despite his physical challenges, he was always ready with a dad joke and was known for his playfulness. Even after his death at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, he got the last laugh, in a way.
“One of the bones they identified was his funny bone,” his daughter recalled. “Was that his final joke? That’s how we took it.”
At a memorial service, the Valcarcel family was struck by how many friends, family, and colleagues came to pay tribute to their father.
“It was standing room only, and the church was huge,” Valcarcel-Serrano said. “Some had come in a bus and that has always stuck with our family. We always appreciated them for doing that and being there for our family. Some never knew my dad, they came to show the family support.”
In the turmoil following the attack, the Valcarcel family found themselves in limbo with no death certificate to show as they tried to submit the reams of paperwork that follow a death.
“It was an unprecedented time,” Valcarcel-Serrano said. “No one knew what to do. He had some kind of life insurance through the union, and we met with many people who walked us through all of it. I never felt abandoned by anyone. I truly believe that. If we hit a roadblock, they helped guide us in the direction we needed. That went on for several years.”
Valcarcel’s dedication to the people of New York and his union values passed down to his eldest daughter. He was a PEF member at one point but worked as a bureau head at the time of his death.
“I wanted to follow my dad into public service,” she said. “I work for Social Security. When you go into public service, you have to do the oath. I remember calling my mom crying and saying to her, ‘I’m stepping in dad’s shoes.’”
At orientation, remembering her father’s union, she joined AFGE, the American Federation of Government Employees, and now serves as a steward.
“It wasn’t until the 9/11 ceremony that they explained the union was under SEIU, and it hit me a little – we are part of the same union,” Valcarcel-Serrano said. “It all matched up.”