When the South Tower of the World Trade Center was targeted by terrorists on that fateful day of Sept. 11, 2001, most people inside the building were worried about getting themselves to safety. However, chef Benjamin “Keefe” Clark spent his final moments helping others. Clark’s family never saw him again after the South Tower collapsed, but he’s gone down in history as a selfless hero.
Clark was born on June 30, 1962, and he grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Little is known about his childhood, but he became a U.S. Marine as an adult. Clark spent eight years in the Marines serving as a cook, never knowing that his culinary experience would sprout into a successful career.
After his experience as a cook in the service, Clark chose to cook professionally once he returned to Brooklyn. He attended classes at the famous French Le Cordon Bleu culinary academy before getting hired by the food services company Sodexho Alliance (now Sodexo).
By 2001, Clark had worked his way up the ladder and became the executive chef for Sodexho, serving the Fiduciary Trust Company International housed across the top floors of the South Tower. Clark was in charge of planning and preparing meals for over 250 company employees every day. His colleagues said that he made sure to remember everyone’s name and always served food with a smile on his face.
At home, he often entertained guests with his wife and five kids. He and his wife enjoyed holding baking contests with their children as judges. Friends and family say his specialties were soups and meatloaf.
Early to Work
At about 4 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001 one of Clark’s sons woke up and begged his dad not to go to work that day, saying he had a bad feeling. Clark dismissed the young boy’s fears and told him to go back to bed to rest for his first day of school.
The 39-year-old chef arrived at his job on the 96th floor of the South Tower that day just before dawn as he always did. He went about his day as usual until the plane struck the tower at 9:03 a.m.
Once the plane hit, Clark knew the situation was dire. But instead of immediately getting himself to safety, Clark rushed to help others escape. He ran through his company’s offices and helped lead hundreds of people to safety on the ground.
The northeast face of the South Tower exploding. Cropped. (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/people/themachinestops/">Robert</a>/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0">CC BY-SA 2.0</a>)
After rescuing several of his co-workers, Clark headed back up the tower to clear the floors instead of fleeing himself. Clark made sure everyone on his floors had escaped before heading back down.
But once he got to the 78th floor, he and three others were seen helping a woman in a wheelchair. Moments later, the tower collapsed, and Clark was never seen again.
“He could have gotten out,” his mother Elsie Clark said after the tragedy, according to the Irish Examiner. “Everybody else did. My son was a marine, so you know he wasn’t going to leave anybody behind. He was always there to help.”
Around 1,200 people, including marines and chefs in uniform, attended Clark’s funeral. His mother said their family pastor had never seen a memorial like that one. Many who attended the service were only alive because Clark had rushed them to safety.
Clark’s five children have emulated his passion for cooking and helping others. His wife LaShawn Clark missed him so much she called Clark’s office every day for several years after his death, wishing to speak to him.
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