Terry Strada lost her husband on September 11, 2001, and she never stopped fighting for answers. Twenty-five years later, she’s still the loudest voice demanding that Saudi Arabia be held responsible, and her name is trending again after a fiery speech at Ground Zero. Here’s the full picture of who she is, what she’s fought for, and why people are searching her name right now.
Background: Who Is Terry Strada and Why Is She Trending?
Terry Strada is the national chair of 9/11 Families United, a coalition made up of family members, survivors, and first responders connected to the September 11 terrorist attacks. She didn’t start out as a public figure. She became one because her husband, Tom Strada, was killed when the first hijacked plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center, where he worked for the financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald.
Since that day, Strada has turned personal grief into a full-time mission. She has spent close to a quarter of a century pushing lawmakers, presidents, and federal courts to release classified documents and hold foreign governments accountable for supporting the hijackers. Her biggest target has always been Saudi Arabia, since 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals.
People are searching her name right now because she just gave one of her most direct public speeches yet, calling out multiple U.S. administrations by name during the 25th anniversary ceremony of the attacks.
Latest Update
Terry Strada spoke at the 25th anniversary memorial ceremony at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan on September 11, 2026. While reading the names of victims, including her husband’s, she paused to criticize decades of U.S. leadership for what she called a pattern of protecting Saudi Arabia instead of standing with 9/11 families. All four living former U.S. presidents attended that ceremony, along with Vice President JD Vance, and Strada directly asked Vance to carry her message back to President Trump.
Her comments come as a long-running civil lawsuit against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia moves toward trial. In 2025, a federal judge rejected Saudi Arabia’s request to have the case dismissed, ruling that the families’ claims were strong enough to proceed. A federal appeals court is expected to hear related arguments in the near future.
What’s confirmed: Strada’s speech, her renewed public criticism of Saudi Arabia, and the ongoing civil case are all verified through multiple independent news outlets covering the September 11, 2026 ceremony.What’s not confirmed: Some personal details commonly asked about Strada, including her exact birthdate, current age, religion, height, and net worth, are not published anywhere in verified public records. These are flagged as unconfirmed below rather than guessed at.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Terry Strada is closely tied to New Jersey, where she has lived in the Basking Ridge and Bedminster areas. Her husband, Tom Strada, was 41 years old when he died. He left behind Terry and their three young children, who were reportedly 7 years old, 4 years old, and just 2 days old at the time of the attacks, since the couple had brought their newest baby home from the hospital only days earlier. One of her daughters, Kaitlyn Strada, has also spoken publicly on behalf of children affected by 9/11.
Career Path
Strada did not have a public career before 2001. Her advocacy work began after her husband’s death, when she joined other 9/11 families pushing Congress for the right to sue nations that funded terrorism. That effort led to the 2016 passage of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, known as JASTA, which Congress passed by overriding a veto from then-President Barack Obama. JASTA gave 9/11 families the legal opening to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts. Strada has since become the public face of that legal fight as national chair of 9/11 Families United, regularly meeting with members of Congress, testifying, writing op-eds, and speaking with national media.
Age
Terry Strada’s exact birthdate and current age are not confirmed in any verified public source. This detail is marked unconfirmed rather than estimated.
Religion
Strada’s religious affiliation has not been confirmed through any verified source. This is treated as unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
Strada’s husband, Tom Strada, was killed on September 11, 2001. He worked for Cantor Fitzgerald and was on the 104th floor of the North Tower when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the building. There is no verified public information suggesting Strada has remarried; she continues to be publicly identified as his widow.
Net Worth
No verified figure for Terry Strada’s personal net worth exists in public records or credible reporting. Any specific dollar amount circulating online should be treated as unconfirmed.
Parents
The names of Terry Strada’s own parents are not available in any verified public source. This is marked unconfirmed.
Height
Strada’s height is not documented in any verified source and is treated as unconfirmed.
Education
According to a professional profile associated with Strada, she attended Florida Atlantic University. This detail comes from a self-reported professional networking profile rather than a news outlet, so it is noted here as a self-reported credential rather than independently confirmed by a second source.
Hometown/State of Origin
Strada is publicly associated with New Jersey, where multiple news reports describe her as a “New Jersey widow” and note her past ties to Basking Ridge and Bedminster. Her original birthplace, however, is not confirmed anywhere in verified reporting.
Official Website and Social Presence
Strada’s advocacy organization maintains an official website at 911familiesunited.org, which publishes her statements, press releases, and updates on the Saudi Arabia lawsuit. No independently verified personal social media account for Terry Strada herself could be confirmed at the time of writing.
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Terry Strada |
| Known For | National Chair, 9/11 Families United |
| Husband | Tom Strada (d. September 11, 2001, age 41) |
| Children | Three, including daughter Kaitlyn Strada |
| Key Achievement | Helped pass JASTA in 2016 |
| Current Fight | Civil lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, headed to trial |
| Location Tied To | New Jersey (Basking Ridge / Bedminster) |
| Education | Florida Atlantic University (self-reported) |
| Official Website | 911familiesunited.org |
| Age, Religion, Net Worth, Height, Parents | Unconfirmed |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Who is Terry Strada?
Terry Strada is the national chair of 9/11 Families United, a group representing families and survivors of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. She became a public advocate after her husband, Tom Strada, was killed in the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
What happened to Terry Strada’s husband?
Tom Strada, her husband, was killed on September 11, 2001, while working at Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of the North Tower. He was 41 years old and had called his wife shortly before he died, saying he was heading toward the stairwell.
Why is Terry Strada suing Saudi Arabia?
Strada and thousands of other 9/11 families allege that agents connected to the Saudi government provided financial and logistical support to the hijackers, 15 of whom were Saudi nationals. A federal judge ruled in 2025 that the case is strong enough to move toward trial, and the Saudi government denies the allegations.
What is JASTA and why does it matter to Terry Strada?
JASTA is the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, passed by Congress in 2016 after lawmakers overrode a veto from President Obama. Strada was one of the leading voices pushing for the law, since it removed the legal shield that had previously stopped 9/11 families from suing foreign governments like Saudi Arabia.
Did Terry Strada speak at the 25th anniversary of 9/11?
Yes. On September 11, 2026, Strada spoke at the Ground Zero memorial ceremony, criticizing multiple U.S. administrations for what she described as protecting Saudi Arabia instead of supporting 9/11 families, and she directly appealed to Vice President JD Vance.
How many children does Terry Strada have?
Strada has three children with her late husband, Tom. At the time of the attacks, reports describe them as being 7 years old, 4 years old, and only 2 days old, since the family had just brought a newborn home from the hospital. Her daughter Kaitlyn Strada has also spoken publicly on behalf of 9/11 families’ children.
Is Terry Strada’s age or net worth publicly known?
No. Neither her exact birthdate, current age, nor a verified net worth figure appears in any credible public record. These details should be treated as unconfirmed rather than assumed.
What organization does Terry Strada lead?
She leads 9/11 Families United, a coalition representing more than 10,000 family members, survivors, and first responders connected to the September 11 attacks. The group’s official updates are posted at 911familiesunited.org.
Wrap-Up
Terry Strada’s story is really the story of what happens after the news cameras leave. She didn’t choose to become a public advocate; the murder of her husband put her in that position, and she has spent nearly 25 years turning private grief into public pressure on the U.S. government and Saudi Arabia. The passage of JASTA in 2016 remains her clearest legislative win, but the fight didn’t end there. It simply moved into the courts, where a lawsuit against Saudi Arabia is now finally headed toward trial.
What makes her renewed visibility in September 2026 notable is the directness of her language. Calling out sitting and former presidents by implication, in front of them, at a solemn memorial, is not something advocacy leaders typically do. It shows a woman who has run out of patience with process and wants a resolution while she is still alive to see it.
Plenty of biographical details about Strada, from her exact age to her net worth, simply aren’t public, and that’s worth respecting rather than filling in with guesses. What is clear, and well documented, is that she has spent a quarter-century turning one of the worst days in American history into a sustained campaign for accountability, and as her lawsuit heads toward trial, her name is likely to keep showing up in the news for a while yet.
Thomas Andrew is the founder of Odubio.com, a digital platform sharing inspiring biographies, news, and stories about global icons and achievers.