‘She liked everybody,’ says sister of Las Vegas teacher killed on 9/11

Jane Gollan wants radical to retrieve her sister, Las Vegas nonmigratory Barbara Edwards, arsenic a devoted ma and teacher who was committed to helping her students win astatine Palo Verde High School.

“She cared astir her students,” Gollan said. “She liked everybody. She was each astir liking radical and having fun. An utmost extrovert.”

Edwards, 58, died 20 years agone connected 9/11. She was the lone full-time Las Vegas nonmigratory killed successful the violent attacks.

The parent of 3 was a rider connected American Airlines Flight 77, which hijackers crashed into the Pentagon, sidesplitting each 64 radical connected board.

She taught English and French astatine Palo Verde High School successful Summerlin. The schoolhouse has scheduled a ceremonial Friday greeting to grant Edwards and her memory.

Gollan, of Yuma, Arizona, reflected connected her sister’s beingness during a caller telephone interview. She and her sister were calved successful Germany, and the household moved to Michigan erstwhile Barbara was 10.

It was successful Michigan wherever Barbara graduated from precocious school, past college, and joined and had 3 children. After a divorce, she became a teacher successful Indianapolis, past received a proposition from her adjacent friends, part-time Las Vegas residents Darlene “Dee” and Wilson “Bud” Flagg, to instrumentality a teaching occupation successful Las Vegas.

Gollan said her sister took peculiar pridefulness successful teaching astatine Palo Verde. She had a adjacent transportation to each of her students.

In the weeks anterior to her death, Edwards had suffered a breached limb successful a car clang and was disconnected from work. She utilized the clip to be a September wedding successful Connecticut. She besides traveled to New Jersey to sojourn 1 of her sons, past traveled to Virginia to walk immoderate clip with the Flaggs. The Flaggs besides died connected American Flight 77 with Edwards.

Gollan said she was notified of her sister’s decease by their stepfather. Gollan, successful turn, notified her sister’s 3 sons. She said the nonaccomplishment has been life-changing for each who knew and loved Edwards.

“She had funerals successful England and Indianapolis and Las Vegas and Grand Rapids (Michigan), due to the fact that she had truthful galore friends,” Gollan said.

She said she misses her sister.

“When I perceive radical being huffy astatine their sister, I archer them ‘Well, you are fortunate you person got one, you know? You should marque up with her,’” Gollan said.

As the federation pays tribute to the 2,977 mislaid successful the violent attacks connected the two-decade anniversary, she wants radical to retrieve her sister and each the others lost.

“A batch of radical person told me, ‘Because of you, this makes (9/11) much personal, due to the fact that you mislaid somebody,” Gollan said. Contact Glenn Puit by email astatine gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ connected Twitter.