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Source: ONE News -
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Beverly Eckert, the widow of a victim of the September 11 attacks in 2001 who became a prominent advocate for victims and survivors, was among those killed in Friday's commuter plane crash near Buffalo, New York, relatives said.
Eckert's husband Sean Rooney died in the World Trade Center in New York, destroyed after al Qaeda hijackers seized jetliners and crashed them into the two towers.
Eckert became a prominent member of Voices of September 11, a group formed to provide services for those affected by the attacks and which promoted policy reforms on prevention, preparedness and responses to terrorism.
President Barack Obama paid tribute on Friday: "She was an inspiration to me and to so many others, and I pray that her family finds peace and comfort in the hard days ahead."
The Buffalo News quoted Eckert's sister Sue Bourque as saying she was on the plane that crashed, killing all 49 on board and one person on the ground.
"We know she was on that plane, and now she's with him," Bourque said.
Eckert, who lived in Connecticut, was traveling to Buffalo to celebrate what would have been her husband's 58th birthday, the newspaper said.
"She was a strong and passionate voice for the families of the 9/11 tragedy," New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said of Eckert in a statement expressing condolences for all those killed in Thursday's crash.
Continental Airlines had not yet released a list of passengers on Flight 3407, which was operated by Colgan Air.
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