“TELL THE BOYS I LOVE THEM”: A MOTHER’S FINAL WORDS BEFORE FLIGHT 93 CRASHED ON 9/11

CeeCee Ross Lyles was a mother, wife, former police officer and United Airlines flight attendant. In the final minutes of her life, her thoughts turned not to herself — but to the children she loved.

CeeCee Ross Lyles was only 33 years old when she boarded United Airlines Flight 93 on the morning of September 11, 2001.

She was a mother of two sons and two stepsons, a wife, a former police officer and detective, and a flight attendant who had only recently begun pursuing a childhood dream.

She could not have known that the flight would become part of one of the darkest days in American history — or that her final words to her husband would become one of the most heartbreaking memories of September 11.

FROM POLICE OFFICER TO FLIGHT ATTENDANT

Lyles was from Fort Pierce, Florida.

Before joining United Airlines, she spent six years working as a police officer and detective in her hometown.

In January 2001, she completed flight-attendant training and began a new chapter in her life.

The National Park Service describes her as a tough, intelligent and caring woman with a strong faith. She loved her family and enjoyed the opportunities that came with her new career.

Only months later, she would find herself aboard Flight 93.

THE CALL THAT BECAME HER LAST GOODBYE

After the hijacking began, Lyles managed to contact her husband, Lorne.

Her first call reached his answering machine.

She left a message telling him that the plane had been hijacked and asking him to tell their children that she loved them.

Then came the words that would later become inseparable from her memory:

“I hope to be able to see your face again, baby. I love you. Good-bye.”

It was a goodbye she never expected to have to say.

The National Park Service records that Lyles made another call to her husband shortly before the crash. This time, the couple were able to speak directly.

“WE’RE GETTING READY TO DO IT NOW”

During that final conversation, Lyles and her husband prayed together.

She told him that passengers and crew members were preparing to fight back and try to regain control of the aircraft.

Then she delivered the message that would remain with her family forever:

“Tell the boys I love them. We’re getting ready to do it now. It’s happening!”

Those were among the final words her husband remembered from their conversation.

She knew the situation was desperate.

But even in those final moments, she was thinking about her children.

THE FIGHT ON FLIGHT 93

Flight 93 had been taken over by four hijackers as part of the coordinated September 11 attacks.

Passengers and crew members eventually learned enough about the attacks to understand that their aircraft was likely being used as a weapon.

They decided to act.

At 9:57 a.m., passengers and crew began their counterattack.

The struggle continued for several minutes before the aircraft crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at approximately 10:03 a.m.

There were no survivors.

But Flight 93 never reached its intended target.

The actions of the passengers and crew are widely recognized as having prevented the hijackers from reaching another target and likely saved lives on the ground.

A MOTHER’S LAST THOUGHTS

Lyles’ son, Jevon Castrillo, was only 6 years old when his mother died.

For him and the rest of her family, September 11 was not simply a date in history.

It was the day they lost a mother, wife and beloved family member.

Yet the final message she left behind was not about fear.

It was about love.

“Tell the boys I love them.”

More than two decades later, those words continue to tell the story of who CeeCee Ross Lyles was — not only as a flight attendant and former police officer, but as a mother whose final thoughts were with her children.

HER MEMORY LIVES ON

Lyles is remembered at the Flight 93 National Memorial and in her hometown of Fort Pierce.

A life-size bronze statue honoring her stands at Liberty Garden in Fort Pierce, where family members and community members have gathered over the years to remember her life and legacy.

She was 33 when she died.

Her sons grew up without their mother.

But the final words she left behind have endured:

Tell the boys I love them.

A mother’s final message.

A family’s last goodbye.

And a few words that have never been forgotten.