Background

Lisa Beamer was born on April 10, 1969, in Albany, New York. She grew up in Shrub Oak, north of New York City. Lisa is the daughter of Paul, a research physicist, and Lorraine Brosious, a Christian counselor. She has a brother and a sister.

Education

Lisa Beamer graduated from Wheaton College. She got a Bachelor of Arts in 1991.

Career

Lisa Beamer was the wife of Todd Beamer, one of a group of passengers who died on September 11, 2001, while attempting to take control of a hijacked commercial airplane that ultimately crashed in a Pennsylvania field, killing all aboard.

Beamer, who was five months pregnant on the day of the attacks, appeared repeatedly in the media, from the "Today" show and "Larry King Live" to "People" magazine. President George W. Bush even introduced Beamer to the country during his address to Congress on September 20, 2001. She came to represent all of the September 11 widows grieving with dignity and strength.

According to publicist Tina Jacobson, Lisa Beamer made 200 media appearances within the first six months after September 11.

Following her third child's birth, Lisa Beamer turned her attention to raising funds for children who had lost their parents, the first being the children whose parents had died in the crash, through a foundation named for her husband, "Todd Morgan Beamer Memorial Foundation." The organization sought to trademark the phrase "Let's Roll," which was the subject of some criticism after some accused her of seeking to profit from her husband's death.

The organization was later renamed "Heroic Choices." As of 2007, "Heroic Choices" was struggling to maintain financial viability. According to the Board Chair, "as with any charity created after the events of 11 September, the farther you get away from the event, the more difficult it is to raise funds."

In 2003, with Ken Abraham, she devoted three months to writing "Let's Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage." Much of the book is based on interviews Abraham conducted with the couple's family and friends, and some were written by Beamer. With the publication of her book, the widow was again asked to appear on network shows and talk about her book, her life with Todd, and her faith. Royalties from the book were donated to the "Todd Morgan Beamer Memorial Foundation."

Achievements

• Lisa Beamer is widely known after the events of 11 September in 2001 and the event's most widely recognized celebrity. She was the wife of Todd Beamer whose call "Let's roll!" helped to rally fellow passengers to action on a hijacked flight above Pennsylvania.
  
  Lisa Beamer is known as a founder "Todd Morgan Beamer Memorial Foundation," later "Heroic Choices." The organization provided programs to build resiliency in children who have experienced trauma. It partnered with agencies to deliver free counseling services. About 50 kids ages 8 to 12 are served annually by the program, meeting four times a year for intensive resiliency training in addition to various retreats.
  
  Also, Lisa Beamer the author of "Let's Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage," a book about her husband and her struggle to deal with her grief after his death.
  
  Lisa Beamer was selected by People magazine as one of the "25 Most Intriguing People of 2001."

Works

More photos

• book

  • Let's Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage

    (Lisa Beamer talks candidly about her life with Todd and t...)

    2003

Religion

Lisa Beamer was raised a Baptist, but her faith was shaken after the loss of her father.

In one interview after the events of 11 September Lisa said: "My faith in God has saved me. He is always there to help me through when the times get tough. Also, all the people who have helped me or sent donations. I really wouldn't be here without anyone of them."

Views

Quotations: "Some people live their whole lives, long lives, without having left anything behind. My sons will be told their whole lives that their father was a hero, that he saved lives. It's a great legacy for a father to leave his children."

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• Newsweek contributor Evan Thomas: "Lisa Beamer was a national icon within ten days of her husband's death."
  
  Lee, a graduate student of Wheaton College: "Lisa demonstrates a clear example of what it means to live with purpose and faithfully according to Christ's grace and love her life."

Connections

Lisa Beamer married Todd Beamer on May 14, 1994, in Peekskill, New York. They have three children: David, Drew, and Morgan Kay Beamer. Morgan Kay was born on January 9, 2002 - nearly four months after her father's death.

Father:

Paul Brosious

Mother:

Lorraine Brosious

husband:

Todd Morgan Beamer

Todd Morgan Beamer was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 who along with other passengers stormed the cockpit and stopped the hijacked from crashing into either the Capitol Building or the White House.

Son:

David Beamer

Son:

Drew Beamer

Daughter:

Morgan Kay Beamer

Brother:

Paul Brosious

Sister:

Holly Brosious

colleague:

Ken Abraham

Ken Abraham has 18 New York Times bestsellers to his credit, he collaborated on Lisa Beamer's "Let's Roll" and Joel Osteen's "Your Best Life Now." He has written of their poignant, sometimes funny, and always inspirational experiences in his book "When Your Parent Becomes Your Child."