Remembering William Lawrence Fallon Jr. on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11
“I’m getting out. I’m coming home.” Those were the last words spoken by William Lawrence Fallon Jr. before he tragically lost his life in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, 25 years ago. At just 38 years old, he was working as an IT manager for Cantor Fitzgerald.
Kayla Fallon Smith, his daughter, was only 8 when she realized that her father wouldn’t be returning home. She recalls how he would always call their home early in the morning to check in on her and her sister before they headed off to school. He’d often go in early to leave in time to take them to dance class, showcasing the kind of father he was. “I can still hear the weights dropping in the mornings when he worked out before leaving for work,” she reflected fondly.
Those early morning phone calls set such a positive tone for their days. Smith reminisces, “He would describe the skyline. Occasionally, it was cloudy below, preventing him from seeing the streets, but up top, it was always sunny.” The last time she heard her father’s voice was on September 11, 2001—a day etched in her mind forever.
“I spoke to him on the house phone that day, as I always did. He told me, ‘Have a good morning,'” Smith said. She thinks she replied with something like, “I love you, have a great day.” Later that morning, after the first tower was hit, he called again. This time, her mother answered the phone. William’s voice was different, and he said, “I’m getting out. I’m coming home.” When her mother asked what that meant, he told her to turn on the news before abruptly hanging up.
Tragically, that was the last time his family ever heard from him. “Those words haunt me a little bit,” Smith admitted. “Every year, grief takes on a new shape. It doesn’t really go away; it’s a myth that time heals all wounds.”
Over the 25 years following that fateful day, Smith has transformed her grief into a mission to help others. She’s now a licensed mental health counselor and founded a nonprofit, Trails of Purpose, which offers free mental health and equine-assisted therapy to military personnel, veterans, and first responders. “I discovered equine-assisted therapy while earning my graduate degree. It just clicked for me,” she explained. “I wish I had the opportunity to experience something like this as a child.”
Since its inception in 2019, Trails of Purpose has provided around 30,000 hours of free mental health support. Smith believes that the horses offer a unique connection: “When words fail, these horses can just be there with you.” She felt a need to create a safe, peaceful environment for those struggling, a space where they could truly just… be.
As she continues to help others heal, Kayla Smith is committed to keeping her father’s memory alive. “If we can harness the collective feeling we had on September 12th, that would be my hope for educating the next generation,” she said, a bittersweet reminder of love, loss, and resilience.
