Lucille Francis

'Never Liked to Sit Around'
As a seasoned housekeeper, Lucille Francis took immense pride in polishing the brass and vacuuming the much- trod carpets of Windows on the World on the 107th floor of 1 World Trade Center. She always insisted that her rooms be as perfect as the view. And although she was scheduled to come to work at 9 a.m. on Sept. 11, "she went in early as usual," said Joseph, the oldest of her four sons. In fact, he thought, she should not have gone in at all: she had insisted on working the week before despite a bout of the flu, and the previous Thursday her boss had demanded she go home, telling her, "Don't come back until you're ready," Joseph Francis said.

But at age 62, Ms. Francis "liked to be out there working, she never liked to sit around at home," her son said. And so, on the morning of the terrorist attacks, Ms. Francis took the A train from Fulton Street as she always did, and arrived well before the first plane struck the building. Her son recalled how hard she had worked all her life, after coming to the United States in 1986 from Barbados. Her family, including Mr. Francis, his brothers Peter, Troy and Raymond, six grandchildren and two great- grandchildren, still cannot quite believe she is gone.