Wheaton College graduate Jason D. Oswald, 28, moved to New York City from Chicago in June to be near his girlfriend, Nancy Prentis, and soon found a high-powered job. Oswald, who has a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Texas, started working in July at Cantor Fitzgerald Securities on the 101st floor of Tower Two in the trade center.
“I think he thought it was exciting to be living on the Upper East Side and working in the World Trade Center,” said Oswald’s longtime friend and former roommate Jonathan Swindle.
At 8:30 Tuesday morning, Oswald met Prentis for coffee in Manhattan then said goodbye to her and headed for work.
Swindle recalled Oswald on Friday as a humble but “incredibly smart person” who was unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit and could do New York Times crossword puzzles in a snap.
The last time Swindle saw Oswald was on Labor Day weekend at a cabin in Wisconsin. It’s the first they had talked about Oswald’s working on the 101st floor at the World Trade Center.
“We commented that it was an amazing place to have an office,” Swindle said.
That Sunday Swindle woke at 6 a.m. and looked down at dock. There was a mist over the lake, and the tall, slender Oswald was standing alone at end of dock with a fishing hat on his head and a pole in his hand, waiting for a fish to bite.
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I apologize to any family and friends of Jason’s that may see this tribute.
At this point I’m in the middle of two family emergencies and am for lack of a better word.. overwrought emotionally.
I don’t think I can handle the emotion that would come from working to finish his. Richard has valiantly offered to work on it for me.
When it’s finished the completed tribute will be posted here.