Mark Bingham, one of the heroes of the September 11 crash in 2001, was gay and did not have a wife. He is survived by his boyfriend Paul Holmes.
Mark Bingham was a former rugby player and public relations executive. He was one of the passengers in the United Airlines Flight 93 who tried to take back control of the plane from the hijackers.
Mark was flying to San Francisco to attend his fraternity brother’s wedding on September 11. He had overslept that day and had almost missed his flight. He was the last passenger to board the United 93.
The passengers managed to call and relayed the plan to their loved ones. Mark called at his aunt’s place and told his family that he loved them.
His mother had also called his phone twice and left him worried voicemails which he never received.
Bingham, along with Todd Beamer, Tom Burnett, and others fought against the hijackers and the plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, during the struggle.
However, they saved it from crashing into its intended target which was either the U.S. Capitol Building or the White House.
Mark Bingham Wife Or Boyfriend: Was He Gay?
Mark Gingham was gay so the question about his wife goes out of the picture. But, he had an active dating before his untimely demise.
He came out as gay to his friends and family after he finished graduation at age 21. However, he had some difficulty coming out at work.
He was a member of the International Gay Rugby (IGR) league, which was established in 2000. He was dating his boyfriend of six years Paul Holmes before his death.
Mark’s mother was quite fond of Paul and told him he helped Mark become the man he was.
Although very little is known about Paul post Mark’s death, he suffered from three different cancers and underwent treatment for them for the better part of 2019.
Meet Mark Bingham Mother Alice Hoagland
Mark Bingham’s mother, Alice Hoagland, became a familiar face post the 9/11 attack. She spent the last two decades preserving the memory of her heroic son.
Alice was a former United Airlines flight attendant. She also became an advocate for airline security after September 11.
She passed away at age 71 in 2020 after a prolonged illness. Her sister confirmed that she died peacefully in her sleep.
Mark’s mother and father divorced when he was only two years old. He was raised by Alice and her family.
Further, she was a strong-willed and kind-hearted person. At age 51, she became a surrogate for her brother and his wife. She gave birth to triplets six months before the attack.
She had also delivered them a daughter a year and a half ago.
Mark Bingham Wikipedia Bio
Mark Bingham, born May 22, 1970, was 31 years old at the time of his death. He grew up in Miami, Florida, and Southern California before finally settling down in San Jose in 1983.
He was an aspiring filmmaker while growing up and used a video camera to document his teenage life.
He was the captain of his rugby team at his high school and later attended the University of California, Berkeley.