Local Ceremony to Commemorate 25th Anniversary of Sept. 11

This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.

STATE COLLEGE —  A local funeral home will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a tribute to a Bellefonte native who died at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. that day.

Haky Georgiana Funeral Home and Centre County Memorial Park, 1034 Benner Pike, State College, will host the event at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 11.

The event begins with tributes, patriotic music, and a prayer service. It will conclude with a video montage of Lt. Jonas M. Panik, formerly of Bellefonte, who was killed on Sept. 11.

Panik was an officer in the U.S. Navy who was working at the Pentagon when he was killed at the age of 26. Panik was fulfilling duties as a Flag Intelligence Briefer in the Office of Naval Intelligence when the terrorist attacks occurred.

“Help us honor those who died on that day that will go down in infamy,” funeral home Manager Michael J. Good said in a statement to The Gazette.

Martina Stanley, Panik’s sister, said she is appreciative of those who keep her brother’s memory alive.

“My family and I remember Jonas not only on Sept. 11, but every day, especially his birthday on Nov. 1 (All Saints Day),” Stanley said in a statement to The Gazette. “Sept. 11, 2001, is a day that forever changed our nation. For me, it is also the day I lost my loving big brother,a man who was not only my brother, but one of the greatest heroes in my life.”

Stanley was four years younger than her older brother and looked up to him in many ways, she said.

“He was the big brother who made me feel protected, encouraged me, and gave me someone to admire. He was my hero long before Sept. 11 ever happened.”

Panik was an exceptional athlete at Bellefonte Area High School where he excelled in football, basketball, and track.

Stanley described him as a loving brother, a devoted son, a proud uncle, a loyal friend, and a man who believed deeply in serving his country.

“When he became a Naval Intelligence Officer, I was incredibly proud of him. He had found a purpose bigger than himself, and he devoted his life to protecting others and serving the United States.

Panik entered the U.S. Naval Academy on July 1, 1993. He graduated from the academy on May 23, 1997 with a B.S. degree in history and was later commissioned in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He later completed the Naval Intelligence Officer’s Basic Course and was assigned to the Patrol Squadron 46 “Grey Knights” in Whidbey Island, Wash. for two years. During that time, he also completed deployments to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf.

He was later moved to his most recent assignment at the Pentagon.

“On Sept. 11, Jonas was serving at the Pentagon when his life was taken. He gave his life in service to our country, but his legacy is so much more than the way he died. His legacy is the way he lived: with courage, love, determination, humor, loyalty, and a deep commitment to those around him,” Stanley said.

“Losing Jonas left an emptiness that can never be filled. But with that loss comes an extraordinary responsibility—to remember him, to tell his story, and to make sure future generations know the person behind the name.”

Stanley is unable to attend the 25th anniversary event in Centre County because she is attending a similar ceremony at the Pentagon, but said her daughter will attend the local ceremony.

“Twenty-five years later, his absence is still felt, but so is his presence — in our memories, in our family, in the lives he touched, and in the legacy he left behind,” Stanley said.

Recently, Stanley had a street named for her brother — Panik Valor Drive — in the community of Mingoville.