what you gave "I thought it was really, really beautiful," said Ashley Elijah. Her father, track worker Scott Elijah, died from COVID-19 at the age of 57 in March. "I think they really stepped up for accommodating our families after suffering our losses, so to see them honor these lost employees in such a thoughtful and major way is a beautiful thing," Elijah said. Mathews Thankachan’s father Thankachan Mathai, a transit cleaner, died last April. He said his family plans to see the memorial in person. "I'm sure they will appreciate the MTA, the employees, who sacrificed to keep the system running, which keeps New York City running," Thankachan said. "I think it also is a morale boost for the employees of the MTA.”