Shattered Lives: The Faces Of A Tragic Flight

AT THE UNITED NATIONS, THEY CALLED SWISSAIR FLIGHT 111 "THE SHUTTLE" BECAUSE so many diplomatic employees used it to go back and forth between New York and Geneva. But the 229 passengers on the plane that crashed off the coast of Nova Scotia last week came from all walks of life: doctors, business people, parents, children. Here are the stories of some of the victims who perished in the icy Canadian sea:

Ingrid AcevedoNew York, N.Y.

Thanks to Acevedo, there will be a lot more UNICEF coin boxes this Halloween. As director of public relations for UNICEF, Acevedo, 32, oversaw a wide range of projects designed to raise public awareness of the international children's fund, whether it was entertaining Hillary Clinton at an official function, teaching the merengue to UNICEF board members in the Dominican Republic or helping to reintroduce the orange charity boxes to another generation of trick-or-treaters. Acevedo began her career doing public relations in the fashion industry but soon realized that helping people in need was her true calling. Says UNICEF executive president Chip Lyons: "It's terrible to find something you love doing so young and then be cut off so quickly."

Pierce GeretyBrooklyn, N.Y.

Gerety, 56, had served on United Nations missions to most of the world's hot spots: Afghanistan, Sudan, Congo, Somalia, the Philippines. The son of a refugee-relief director in the Eisenhower administration, Gerety was a Harvard-trained lawyer who always went after the most dangerous assignments. As a member of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, he most recently negotiated with Congolese leader Laurent Kabila in hopes of ending the slaughter of refugees in central Africa. "Pierce was one of those silent heroes," says his brother Miles. "I always expected to get a call at 4 a.m., but I thought it would come out of Rwanda or Bosnia."

Tara Nelson Mystic, Conn.

Nelson, 35, was traveling on a mission of love. A naturopathic physician--someone who uses herbs and other natural agents instead of drugs--she had planned to help her pregnant sister in Grenoble give birth. Nelson was being met in Geneva by her boyfriend, who was going to propose to her.