Christopher Zarba, a software engineer from Hopkinton, Mass., lost his life during Tuesday's tragedies

Hopkinton, Mass. [09.17.01] -- "We're all just heartbroken," said a colleague of Christopher Zarba. The 47-year old husband and father was tragically killed on Tuesday -- a passenger of American Airlines Flight 11. On Saturday, he was to celebrate his 48th birthday.

   "Zarba, a computer technician who grew up in Medford and graduated from Tufts University, inherited his father's gift for music," reported the Boston Herald. He was an accomplished piano player.

   News of Zarba's loss devastated family, friends and co-workers.

   "This makes my burden very heavy," said Zarba's father, whose wife Catherine died three months ago at age 70.

   His son's tragic loss was hard to comprehend. "He was just doing his everyday work, like everyone else in this country," his father said.

   On Wednesday, employees at Concord Communications observed a moment of silence to honor the memory of their colleague.

   "Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and to his friends," said Concord CEO Jack Blaeser, "This is a horrific time for the Zarba family, and we join them in prayer."

   On Thursday, several selectmen in Hopkinton planned to read a statement about Zarba during their meeting.

   The 1976 Tufts graduate is survived by his wife, Sheila, and their three-year-old son Christopher.