Ryan Kohart Obituary

Ryan Kohart attended Garden City High School in Garden City, NY. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Ryan Kohart.

Graduation Year	Class of 1995
Date of Passing	Sep 11, 2001
About	The memory Ryan Kohart's family will carry with them of his final days is not how he died, but how he celebrated what he had planned as his future. The Saturday before the attack on the World Trade Center, where Kohart worked on the 104th floor of Tower One, they all gathered to celebrate his engagement to Melissa White. The celebration began at Sotheby's and continued the next morning with brunch at Tavern on the Green. Then they went back to the Manhattan apartment of White's parents. "Ryan and I got to sit on the couch and watch the Jets," said Geoffrey Kohart, his father. "We had a great time, even though they lost." That's the last time he saw his son. Although Kohart, 26, has not been found, his family says they know in their hearts that he's gone. Until last year, Kohart worked at Sherwood Securities as an equities trader. But in trying to "better himself," he took a job with Cantor Fitzgerald, where he worked with a friend, Jeff Levine, who also is missing. "He really loved what he was doing," his father said. When Geoffrey Kohart, who works near the World Trade Center site, first saw the initial aftermath of the crash, he didn't realize what had happened. "You just saw millions of pieces of paper falling from the sky," he said. "I thought it looked like a ticker-tape parade." When he found out a plane had hit the tower, Geoffrey Kohart knew immediately that his son was inside. Co-workers suggested Ryan might have gone in late or taken the day off, but his father knew the sad truth. "Ryan never missed a day," his father said. "He was just that kind of a kid." White works across the street from the World Trade Center and also witnessed the crash. She met Kohart in the Hamptons, when they were both in college. In talking about Kohart, his family remembered an accomplished athlete in a family of athletes. Kohart played lacrosse both at Garden City High School and in college. He was captain of the lacrosse team at the University of North Carolina. Kohart was one of four brothers who played collegiate lacrosse: Brett, who was to be the best man at Kohart's wedding, played at North Carolina from 1996 to 1999; Geoffrey Jr. played at Johns Hopkins and Adam played at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Kohart also is survived by his mother, Joy Kohart. Kohart won a sports scholarship to college, and he told White that, once he was working, he hoped to set up a fund so that future students could receive the same privilege. Just days after the tragedy, White helped establish the Ryan Kohart Memorial Scholarship Fund at North Carolina to provide financial aid to future lacrosse players. Contributions can be sent to the Educational Foundation, University of North Carolina, P.O. Box 2446, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27515. Checks should note the name of the memorial fund and be sent to the attention of Sue Walsh. "One of Ryan's goals was to provide a lacrosse scholarship so that he could pay back UNC for all the assistance he received during his four years in Chapel Hill," said Geoffrey Kohart. "We will make his wish come true." (Source: Newsday 9/23/2001)