It was a tragedy that shook Central New York and rippled across the world.
Pan Am Flight 103 exploded in the skies above the United Kingdom on Dec. 21, 1988, killing 270 people, including 35 from Syracuse University.
Thirty-three years later, Syracuse University honored those killed in the terrorist act.
“He was your best friend,” Kara Weipz said of her brother, a victim f the flight. “He made you laugh. He was the goof. He was the fun-loving guy. Easy going.”
The annual rose-laying ceremony honors those killed by a bomb that detonated over Lockerbie, Scotland.
It provides families of the 35 Syracuse University students more opportunity to honor their loved ones.
“As my big brother, he could be a pain in my back side,” Weipz said. “He just went after stuff. Even going to London was a big stretch for him, and he went after it just a hundred percent.”
Weipz was 15 years old when the bombing took place.
“I was actually home from school that day, so I was the first to find out and I was the one who had to tell my parents something had happened,” she recalled.
While the tragedy shaped her life, it remains a part of Syracuse University. Thirty-five seniors spent time learning about each student who was killed in the attack.
For Weipz, it remains a touching tribute to see SU honor her brother and the other victims.
Inspired by her brother’s death, she continues her work, serving as president of Pan Am Flight 103, Inc.
“I think that’s the only thing you can do, make this world a better place,” she said. “My role for the families is to help them find peace.”
