SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - It was a day of remembrance and emotion for the family of a local 9/11 victim, 23 years later.
Inside the sanctuary at Mission San Diego de Alcala, candles are lit in tribute.
“It’s simple, but it's so meaningful,” said Mark Borza.
His daughter attended services at the church growing up.
At the age of 20, Deora Bodley was the youngest passenger aboard United Flight 93, when it was hijacked, crashing into a Pennsylvania field, killing all on board.
“I cried myself to sleep every night,” said Murial Borza. “I missed my sister.”
Younger sister Murial says the journey that followed was emotional, including stops at church, on September 11 for family and friends.
“I wanted it to be a San Diego thing,” said Mark.
The family’s candlelit tradition is more than 10 years old. 40 candles are lit, one of for each victim aboard Flight 93.
In Pennsylvania on Wednesday, a different tribute took place.
“I read Deora's name at the service. It’s just very emotional,” said Debby Borza, Bodley’s mother.
Debby attended a service at the Flight 93 National Memorial. She helped lead efforts to make the memorial happen.
“It's important that we remember what happened on September 11, 2001. It’s important we remember how united the country was,” said Debby Borza.
The mission of never forgetting has been tirelessly carried on by Bodley's family and friends in the last 23 years.
In the past few weeks, there was a concert in her name, benefitting firefighters. Also ‘Team Deora’ raised thousands at the annual, 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb in San Diego.
“I want to keep her memory alive. I was lucky enough to be her dad. This is the least I can do. I am doing something I can do to honor her memory, their memory,” said Mark Borza.
For Mark, doing his annual tribute, is getting harder, after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2016. He says it won't stop him.
“I will keep doing until the day I can't move anymore,” he said.
