The Montreal family of a man who died in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, will return to the site of Ground Zero to mark the 25th anniversary of the attack. Frank Doyle was in the South Tower when the planes hit. He became one of 24 Canadians who died on 9/11. CTV News met Kimmy Chedel at Ground Zero at the time, as she was looking for her husband. “I know he’s alive,” she said, “but I just don’t know if we’re going to find him in time.” Successful and athletic, Doyle was 39 and the father of two young children, Zoe and Garrett. “He said, ‘I know you know this, but I love you, and I also love Zoe and Garrett, and I want you to tell them every day of their life,’” she said at the time. Twenty-five years later, Chedel has never missed a commemorative ceremony. “It’s so important to remember all the lives that were lost, but for me to hear Frank’s name is so important,” she said. She and her children, now young adults, have been back to Ground Zero several times. This year, they will return. Zoe and Garrett were only two and one years old when their father died. A grief counsellor urged Chedel to live fully for the sake of her kids. “Let’s figure out a way to honour Frank. You just have to live. And it was clear to me that Frank would like us to keep on living,” said Chedel. An athletic couple, she decided to honour her late husband through sporting events, setting up teams with family and friends. “We’ve swam to Alcatraz, gone to base camp at Everest and climbed to the top of Kilimanjaro. It’s been a big part of healing and learning for my children what an amazing person their dad was,” she said. In 2017, after a trip to Africa, she decided to set up a foundation to build nursery schools in rural villages in South Africa, with a goal to build 30. They’re already up to 19. “It’s really become my life and helping others is really what I’ve realized is how I heal,” she said. The schools do more than give children an early education; they also provide water, work and opportunities to other villagers. Her son Garrett said they also offer a chance at something else. “What I think is beautiful about Team Frank is if we do this right, my dad will outlive me. And there’s something beautiful to that,” he said. Now 60, Chedel has dealt with other heartbreak since losing her husband. In 2019, she abruptly lost another partner, François, to colon cancer. He was 44. “He was diagnosed officially on November 19, Stage 4,” she said. “Within 90 days, he was gone.” Her father also died suddenly soon after, and that same week, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. “It’s been a lifetime of tragedy and coming back from loss and trying to find good,” she said.
