Patricia Panatier and Irene Gimore

00:05 My name is Irene Gilmore. I'm 60 years old. Today's date is September 18th 2009.

00:14 We are located at New York-New York and I am

00:20 Pat's sister

00:24 My name is Pat Panettiere. I'm 55 years old. Today is September 18th 2009. We are in New York City and I am Irene sister.

00:44 So now we just

00:48 You do have them happy. Okay, so where?

00:54 We're here because we don't want Christopher Panettiere her brother who was killed September 11th.

01:01 To be forgotten certainly, so we're mostly going to talk about him.

01:07 Yes and give a background on.

01:10 All things Christopher Panettiere, yeah.

01:14 But just a little bit about our family.

01:18 Where seven children?

01:21 My number three patties number 5 and Chris was number seven.

01:28 And when he was born, I was 16 years old.

01:33 And Pat you were 11. I was 10 10 and 1/2. Yeah, but do you remember the day was born? I've been careful so clearly. Yeah. I was a junior in high school.

01:49 So I sure remember I went to see him but mommy was really sick. So I was the first one to see him. Okay in the nursery say I was too young to buy the hospital but

02:08 High diver sister in love with them. I mean I was at that age and right like his mother right I was was his mother but I could see his big I can picture today big brown of those big brown eyes by looking up at me and chubby. Yeah.

02:30 And he was much younger than the rest of us.

02:35 The next one up from him. Jimmy was 7-years 7 or so. He was like the family pet in a way. Yeah, he was

02:50 Cell

02:52 And Chris was married to Carolyn and they have two children and he and Christopher who are now. Annie is now 13 Going on 14 next month. And Christopher is 12 and they live in Rockville Centre in the same home. They lived in and Carolyn Chris's wife is just a fantastic person. Great mom

03:29 Great sister-in-law great friend.

03:32 Yeah.

03:34 They were high school sweethearts.

03:38 So we also know her from the time she was very young teen or 15s like Chris is very gregarious.

03:59 Loving

04:02 And everybody wanted to be next to Chris. Yeah and Crystal magnetic. Yeah. Yes.

04:11 Used to

04:15 Stand by the fireplace. Remember absolutely perform for the family. He has microphone which was a broomstick and he would lip sync you made me so very happy. He was about three years old, but we would be rolling with laughter, but we weren't allowed your five little fireplace.

04:58 Yeah. Yeah, and I guess the famous story.

05:05 From when he was about five and it I think it was you and I in the den when that happened we had a long very long driveway on a bit of a hill.

05:17 And at that time our hard dad was driving a 59 Cadillac with the with the wings on the back and he climbed into the car and released the emergency brake and we were in the den which Overlook the driveway and I remember I Turn to You and said ice daddy driving schools today at the driveway and it was Christopher behind the wheel and then we went from to panic panic and the car. Thank goodness. We lived in a quart.

05:56 And the car managed to stay on the driveway for most of the ride and then turned into our neighbor's bushes and thank goodness for those wings on it. That'll act because it really cushioned. I know he was he was really mad because remember Daddy I never saw my father move so quickly and he got there that it went out there and Chris was on his knees, He was having a lot of fun and solutely kind of says it all in a nutshell.

06:40 Flip through

06:42 The cracks a little bit like he was kind.

06:44 I know I think he was like performing a lot. I really was. Yes, and if we would sit around the table and talk about school, he would say all I had homework to India but he was getting in there. She definitely why he was getting his voice hurt without a doubt. Yeah, definitely thought he was not spoiled. No, no, he wasn't indulgent and now and he when he went to kindergarten.

07:25 I remember these things when it was back to school night or meet the teacher night and parents went up there and the teacher said to my mom. Oh your son is so bright.

07:48 I think he was absorbing everything that was trickling down from all of us. So he was way ahead of himself and he used to write the short stories. Remember the curse you red dress Red Baron from Snoopy and he had a whole story about that that he had written. That was so funny and really was

08:16 Just a very fun-loving. Joyful person. And that's why I think people loved being around him so much. Yeah. Yeah.

08:30 And then the older three and Irene included in that moved out of the house and on their merry way when Chris was still very young very young.

08:48 Because you were I have about 17 when he when he like when I was 16 16 when he was born. I was maybe 20 mi going away to college first. Yeah, that's right.

09:06 But I used to take Chris to that first apartment there a Huntington overnight and then take him to the hole. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

09:22 Anyways, so, let's do you remember him in school when you were in school?

09:30 Yeah you ever in the same. No, I was way ahead. I wasn't even in the same as Jimmy.

09:38 Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I don't remember. You know, I know that the the people that he went to high school and in some cases Junior High School, they was still friends. And in fact Carolyn is still friends with that whole group of friends. They really stay connected even through your being married and having their own children, and they're all very very connected to Carolyn.

10:07 And Chris's high school that I also graduated from Half Hollow Hills in Dix Hills in New York. They rename the football field last year in honor of Chris and his friend Tommy Collins on the couch every name the football field at the high school field X Collins Chris panatier field Memorial Field and there is also a memorial garden that was done that was quite a while ago already right maybe eight years ago or nine years ago. Might even been the first year afterwards. I'm trying to think but it took a while to build that was a community project by all of his friends and family.

11:02 And that's maintained and they have a scholarship also at the high school in Tommy and Chris's honor also that in fact Monday is the golf outing at which they have every year outing for the scholarship fund. So I think Legacy is certainly continuing even in his high school.

11:33 Anyway, so I would say they talked about defining characteristics on here humor. Yes humor humor.

11:46 Man compassionate yet

11:49 Intelligent

11:52 Generous

11:55 Terry yeah

11:58 Just I think of unique individual.

12:05 With tremendous optimism, I would say also about life and I think his

12:16 I think the most important thing to him was his family.

12:21 Originally his you know, you all are growing up family in addition to that his own wife in and children and his act Barbara.

12:35 A friend of mine who knows Chris from when he was little she said after he got married and had the kids. She said every party I every time I looked at him. He was holding one or the other of Annie and Chris or both, you know, they were just attached attached to him.

12:59 And I

13:01 Best a great person

13:06 Can you think of any stories that demonstrate his his humor or some of the other characteristics?

13:14 Well, I know that one story that we really didn't know but his buddy on hockey on Stony Brook hockey team talked about that. They had had a gay and he he was hurt during the game.

13:33 I had think you got hit in the head or whatever, but he was okay and the friend wanted him to go, you know to the doctor or this and then he was saying he was fine. He was fine. And then my friend said well, I'll I'll drive home behind you it was in the winter and he said I'll follow you home. So I know that you're okay and and they he proceeded to follow him home and then my brother went off the road in his car like heading for a tree and then stopped the car and his friend was following behind and stopped his car and jumped out of his car and ran up to Chris's car and Chris was sitting there laughing because he totally was goofing the guy about having a concussion. He would go to those links actually to do a practical joke.

14:33 They did that.

14:36 Bicycle. He didn't have a bicycle helmet and it was required to as entry. So he wore his hockey helmet at the entire for the entire. I also love talking and he learn to play hockey actually with

15:02 Our younger brother but his older brother Jimmy in the stumps out. That's right. There was a sump that was near our house. So that's like a water recharging Basin and that would freeze over in the winter. And that's really where they first were Flames hockey. Yeah, I'd and then he played on high school hockey. I don't remember if I've had Stoneybrook. He was the captain of the hockey team there while he was at Stoneybrook. Yes. He loved hockey for sure. Yeah.

15:40 And he also spent time in Japan. He was there for a few years for work, and I know they would.

15:51 It was hard over there because she was away from Carolyn and then she joined him but I think it it wasn't so easy over there was difficult. You liked it. He loved it. I think he enjoyed it. He likes being tool was the only time and went and Jeffrey are nephew went to visit as much as possible was hard being away from home.

16:38 For that time though.

16:48 What were each of your relationships like with a

16:56 Relationships change

17:01 Now they got stronger. I would say and of course we loved his children. Right and I saw and I crochet and I make things I would always make the babies that I babysit just got stronger. Yes, I think and actually he lived with me with my family my husband and two children before he was married when he graduated from college then he was looking for a job.

17:36 And

17:39 Before he got his apartment in the city. He was living with me and for a while. It was definitely a couple of months and he was commuting and

17:53 He was in he was in the basement. I had that bed set up down there that area so he had his own area. He was down there and my children were there. I don't know if I even had Evan. I think it was only test.

18:08 I think it was only my daughter. Yeah, and I remember he bought her a pound puppy for her birthday that she still has a pound puppy 23 years later. She still has bound puppy that I need to go ahead. And so he was very much like a kid when he would, you know isn't as a young adult. So all of our oldest nephew is only six years younger than Chris older. No, no, this nephew is 6 years younger than 6 on the first of the grandchildren were born yellow intergenerational e there was a very small Gap so it's kind of just like its load right now through and continued on so he was he was kind of the older brother to certainly my oldest sister's

19:08 Children and then went on from there. So it was a very big blended family and the

19:17 Generations can definitely blurred, you know between the children and then the the grandchildren and he was certainly the older brother quote on PS2 to those children 2 to the older grandchildren and then he was certainly the uncle to my to my kids cuz my kids were a bit younger and

19:46 You know, it was like all I want for Christmas is so much fun, you know, and he be out playing ball and inventing, you know games that they would play and it was always a big and he be right in the middle of it.

20:00 In fact, I had this picture. I just recently moved so I came across this picture and it was a snapshot of us at a barbecue party in my yard and it was like in the foreground is Dorothy and I had another sister. Athena and then I think Chris Michael's son Chris. Another Chris panatier was behind them. And then in the background was out brother Chris in my pool area, and he's holding the skimmer for the pool and he's wearing like a Mexican hat trying to catch a beach ball. That's the shot, you know of him that that I could have brought that would be typical of him and also at weddings, right?

20:46 He would do the crazy crazy dancing. And yes, they did a skit at the weddings the crazy dance get to Advanced plus I therefore that my children's father passed away. My husband passed away a long time ago her a so Jimmy and Kristy two brothers came out and I'm sober I need my two daughters to a square dance.

21:35 And also Chris took my two children to the Met game one time and they were very young after my husband died and it was

21:47 He was it if they were at the game and they flashed their picture on the Jumbotron and Chris got the picture of it. So I have a picture of them at the at the Met game cell.

22:03 This just a fun-loving guy devoted to his family and a very hard worker. Also. I mean we didn't really talk much about his career by now know he sure was he a very successful. Yes. That's true. You had a lot more to do right right Jack Lee.

22:29 Can you describe him physically?

22:34 Well, he it was about five 7:05 a.m. Maybe nice bill on a lucky day was 5/8. He was built like an athlete has yeah, that's Ledic dark hair will do he went gray. Very young at 36 had a lot of gray hair brown eyes.

23:03 Yeah, yeah big smile great smile.

23:09 And he was you know, I'm looking at this but he was religious. Oh, yeah, he was oh, yeah, because I remember

23:21 On Sunday, he was he was in the pew.

23:26 The last one and he was yelling at Mom. Can I go up to communion?

23:40 Right, right. Yeah, he likes going to turn right even from little witch is kind of unusual, right? Yes very much. So religious and that carried through to his children and Carolyn also was religious.

24:06 Yeah, and I think it was in I think it was important to him.

24:11 That his children, you know carrying on those traditions and beliefs. Yeah, but he was not in your face about it. I think I'm not very private affair with him.

24:28 Vietnow, yeah.

24:39 Will you are God God parent to who Christopher Lee?

24:58 Now when was the last time you saw him Patti?

25:04 September 9th, I think two days before people because he came out to take Heaven my son to a little league game and he came out with Annie and Chris.

25:26 And it was right at wellfield Park down the street. And so they had the you know, it was it was Evans Little League. I don't I guess whatever I want to say play maybe it was from the summer league or something. But anyway, he took them and when he came back to the house, I think that he said Chris his son Chris who is

25:52 The right at that point I think about that. Yeah, and I think we now had a little cake. The tascosa was survived by her birthday. And that was the last time that's what I remember last time.

26:18 Yeah, I saw him the end of August.

26:24 At his house or Chris's birthday birthday barbecue.

26:33 And I took Guinness for a walker that crazy dog do his crazy doing what ya around there was a pretty day, right? All right. Yeah.

26:46 And also he

26:51 Thinking of that barbecue. He had built a deck by hand off their house.

27:00 It was at summer. Yeah. Yeah, it was made of mahogany wood and it was very difficult and you know, he spent an enormous amount of time on that and then staining it in this and that and subsequent to that my sister-in-law that you know, put an addition on the house last year and the workers preserved a lot of that wood.

27:28 To reuse because she was kicking out and saw that deck would be not there anymore. But and they rebuilt a deck using that one and even the handrails and everything, which is very cool. That's still there and the deck is still there, but didn't he leave something with the penny? Yeah, I forget what that was though. Underneath one of those are the workers found it underneath one of those planks the other worker feel Carolyn didn't know about put in there. Yeah. Yes. You're right right right here, right?

28:18 Yeah, I know that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

28:22 Ali-A

28:25 And another thing that we forgot he doesn't he love to eat right? That's true of an appetite for life. I think that represented that he really had a very strong Appetite For Life.

28:46 And I just knew how to enjoy himself and brought a lot of that. Joy to two others. Yeah.

28:56 But it could be very competitive to he was definitely competitive. Otherwise, you would have been an athlete and we even Steven we would play Jeopardy as a family and we were all at once so that was kind of a good-natured thing also.

29:21 But definitely, you know definitely competitive. I think that's why he was good at his job.

29:31 Yeah, I need told me once they used to call up there like the Chinese restaurant in work and have a whole bunch of food delivered to one guy at the desk there and you know, they always did but I did want on him. Yeah, I called his office once and I forget what I said and he totally fell for cuz I thought it was me and you know, it wasn't anybody in the office. I don't remember what it was but

30:08 Funny and I I was telling my sister when we were coming here one time. I visited his office. I went in to have lunch. I was coming into the city and I had never been there and so I went there and I I have a hat collection. So I wore like a huge big brimmed hat up to his office and all of the you know, all of the guys around there are saying like who is this? Not that came to see Chris and we went out to lunch and he was loving it because you know, we're in the rest people looking. I mean he would love something like that for sure.

30:55 I know how

30:58 You know, I think Mom and Dad used to go to all his game his hockey game. Yes, but yes, she was a nervous wreck about it food concession stand. In fact, we just came across the video of him playing on Syfy now.

31:24 Inow

31:28 It all seems too short though. Let's yeah.

31:32 Nothing about it.

31:35 Usher

31:39 I know.

31:48 Oh wait, we never did find them.

31:52 Do you want to talk about?

31:53 The day or

31:55 No, I don't.

31:59 I only want to say that.

32:04 Hit his last minutes when he did call and

32:11 He did call us. He called his wife and he pretty much knew I

32:19 I feel like he probably gave somebody else comfort.

32:25 That would be him typical of him, right? That's how I picture him. That's the only way I could really even go there right is the think that he

32:39 And I'll probably help someone else. Yes. Yes. Yeah, but that was a real tough time for us.

32:52 How do you still find him in your life?

32:58 Where you know we're close to his kids and when you see the kids certain mannerisms physical appearance like oh my God, this is Chris. Yes and personality traits.

33:16 And we'll tell them things about their dad. You know, you're right.

33:23 And I think he's ever present in their lives like on a daily basis that you know, if you go to their house all of our houses, I must say, oh, yeah particularly their house. Yes, that is still a very strong presence.

33:45 Yeah.

33:50 Yeah, I mean.

33:53 I have no doubt. I'll see him again.

33:58 And also, you know outside of the immediate family that he has a tremendous group of friends that maintain his memory and honor that and continue to do that. They didn't kind of fade away after year 2 or whatever. So that's always there. That's a continuing.

34:27 Remembrance

34:32 Her in his honor and for his

34:37 Wife and children and his siblings.

34:40 An extended family so

34:47 So maybe as a

34:49 How do you think he is?

34:58 I think yes.

35:02 Wonderful husband father brother, son

35:10 Uncle yeah friends, you know

35:14 Just because

35:17 I do write down a guy and he really got God's message to love one another and do unto others a really want some.

35:32 Very very good that way. Yes.

35:36 He wants to bring more joy than that was here before you got here. It's just too short.

35:49 We love you, Chris.

35:58 Till we meet again Chris.