{"id":9783,"date":"2026-09-25T15:24:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T19:24:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/?p=9783"},"modified":"2026-09-25T16:16:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T20:16:42","slug":"remembering-the-most-handsome-man-on-crutches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/issue\/volume-44-no-8\/remembering-the-most-handsome-man-on-crutches\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering the \u2018most handsome man on crutches\u2019\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-9784\" src=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/W.Valcarcel.jpeg\" alt=\"William Valcarcel\" width=\"206\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/W.Valcarcel.jpeg 793w, https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/W.Valcarcel-232x300.jpeg 232w, https:\/\/communicator.pef.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/W.Valcarcel-768x992.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\" \/>William Valcarcel\u2019s family, friends, and coworkers will forever remember his light-headed nature and his humor. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cHe would introduce himself as the \u2018most handsome man on crutches\u2019,\u201d his eldest daughter Lisa Valcarcel-Serrano recalled. \u201cIf anybody asked, \u2018Did you know Bill?\u2019 they might say, I\u2019m not sure if I know anybody by that name \u2013 but if somebody said, \u2018Do you know the most handsome man on crutches?\u2019 they immediately knew.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">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.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cOne of the bones they identified was his funny bone,\u201d his daughter recalled. \u201cWas that his final joke? That\u2019s how we took it.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At a memorial service, the Valcarcel family was struck by how many friends, family, and colleagues came to pay tribute to their father.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt was standing room only, and the church was huge,\u201d Valcarcel-Serrano said. \u201cSome 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.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">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.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt was an unprecedented time,\u201d Valcarcel-Serrano said. \u201cNo 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.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Valcarcel\u2019s 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.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cI wanted to follow my dad into public service,\u201d she said. \u201cI 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, \u2018I\u2019m stepping in dad\u2019s shoes.\u2019\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At orientation, remembering her father\u2019s union, she joined AFGE, the American Federation of Government Employees, and now serves as a steward.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt wasn\u2019t until the 9\/11 ceremony that they explained the union was under SEIU, and it hit me a little \u2013 we are part of the same union,\u201d Valcarcel-Serrano said. \u201cIt all matched up.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>William Valcarcel\u2019s family, friends, and coworkers will forever remember his light-headed nature and his humor. \u00a0 \u201cHe would introduce himself as the \u2018most handsome man on crutches\u2019,\u201d his eldest daughter&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"division":[],"allowed_regions":[],"allowed_divisions":[],"class_list":["post-9783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","issue-volume-44-no-8"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - 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