Kathy died on September 11
th,2001 at the age of 44.
Kathy was born in Greece and emigrated with her family to the United States at age 11 to Chicago, Ill.
At Central High School Kathy was a good student. She was involved with the foreign language publication called "Little Alien" and the school's drama club.
After graduating High School Kathy attended Plymouth State College in New Hampshire where she majored in accounting. It was at Plymouth State where Kathy met her former husband, Peter Maguire. The couple married in 1979 and lived in Maguire's hometown of Hampton, NH. There, Bantis worked for the law firm of Sanders and McDermott until the couple divorced in 1986.
After the divorce Kathy began working for the New York insurance brokerage firm Johnson and Higgins. This position led her back to Chicago. At the time of her death Kathy worked for Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. Marsh and McLennan, a global professional services company, had recently purchased Johnson and Higgens and made Kathy the vice president of finance. Kathy was in the process of being transferred from Chicago to New York.
Marsh and McLennan occuipied approximately 361,000 square feet of office space on the 94th through 100th floors and a portion of the 93rd floor in Tower One. On the day of the attacks, Kathy was at a training seminar on the 99th floor of Tower One. She died along with 294 other Marsh and McLennan employees.
Kathy left an indelible mark on the professional world. In her personal life she chose to remember her roots in Greece by providing funds to help inprove the lives of the people who lived there.
To those who knew her she was an exceptional person - both at work and in life (from Legacy.com and mmc.com):
"My mentor"
"well manner,sweet and smart"
"a crown jewel in the Bantis family"
"understanding ... and a great person to work for and with"
"warming my heart with your true friendship"
"a true pleasure to be with, as a co-worker and friend."
"always fun to be around. She lightened up every life she touched"
"the compassion and determination"
"My life is emptier without Kathy"
"blessed by the memories of your sassy voice"
Rest in peace Kathy. While there is no doubt that you are missed there is also no doubt that you will be remembered forever.
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