FIJI BROTHER/FAMILY MISSING IN MIAMI COLLAPSE
 

I’m coming on here with my Greekchat friends to ask for positive thoughts for one of our graduate brothers who is missing with his family in the condo collapse
in Miami.
Luis Pettengill is a brother (and former chapter officer) of our Rho Phi Fiji chapter and a 2007 graduate of Rose-Hulman. His name is front and center because he’s married to the sister of the First Lady of Paraguay. The whole family was there including the couple, their 3 children and a family caretaker. While they may have been there to get the vaccine, we knew it was Luis’ birthday, hence the children. Both families owned several units in the building.

For the last day I have spoken with—and cried with—his brothers from coast to coast. He was absolutely BELOVED by everybody. His father visited him at the chapter house and we all met his family at graduation. After graduation, several brothers flew to Paraguay and were given so much hospitality and love.
Luis and his wife have come back for several weddings of his pledge brothers.

Last night at 2 a.m. was my last phone call from a brother who remembered how sweet and generous Luis was. As Dan said from Seattle, “if anything good has come, it’s that we’re all connecting again and telling each other how much we love them.”

I HATE the term “thoughts and prayers” because it’s thrown around too much, so I’ll just say this: There IS hope….so please think of Luis and his family and—if you’re so inclined—pray for them or just remember how wonderful and binding our fraternal vows are.

Thanks ALL of you. I’m exhausted and cried out…and I just needed to vent a little.

:(:(:(

Quoting from the beautiful old song: "People who need People are the luckiest People on the world."

I have said a prayer for you and the Pettengill family. As a firefighter, I have training in search and rescue of this type and I believe that there is some small hope here. I will cling to that.

I am so sorry, PGD-GRAD.

THANK YOU ALL ⬆️ for your kind words and warm regards so far. You will never know how much this has meant to me. We’ve had losses as a chapter before and I, as advisor, have dealt with them. This is just overwhelming and emotionally draining…but quite honestly, it has reaffirmed my love for our brothers and the chapter after speaking with nearly 20 graduates.

FYI—I actually spoke with Luis’ aunt, Yuby Cartes, who you may have seen from day one with with the photo of Luis, Sophia and their children. She said that they are carefully moving huge pieces of concrete from above, but so far—nothing. They are hoping and praying for small open spaces and air pockets. She was joined yesterday by both Luis and Sophia’s families.

Thank you all again—you’ve helped me restore my resolve and composure because I know some of you have been in my shoes.

Sending prayers of hope to Luis and all of the others still missing.

Also among the missing is an alumna from the AOII chapter at University of Florida.

I'm praying for everyone involved in this terrible tragedy.

Praying for all those who have been affected by this tragedy.

What wonderful memories you have to share with us. I will keep Luis and his family in my prayers specifically, as well as keep those still missing collectively in my prayers.

It looks eerily similar to what we had in OKC after the bombing here.

Kevin - we have a TV reporter here in Bham whose father was one of the victims in OKC - Carla Wade. She was on TV there at one time, went to Vegas and now is here/

Sending positive thoughts and love

I found out yesterday that a ZTA sister from UF is missing in the building collapse. She was a UF majorette, and is a flight attendant, aged 70.