Family Of Electrocuted Ameren Worker Continues His Legacy Of Helping Others By Making Donation To Foodbank In His Honor

He was killed on the job, trying to fix downed power lines. Now the family of that Ameren worker wants to keep helping victims of last month's severe weather.

In the days following the death of Bob Tackett, his family received an outpouring of support. There were moving tributes, hundreds of sympathy cards and numerous donations made in his name.

His daughter, Sara Tackett says, "We had just kind of thought about what we wanted to do with the money so we decided that this was something my dad would have wanted to do."

This was a check for $2000. The Tackett family wrote it out to the St. Louis Area Foodbank Thursday. It was their way of giving back to the community who had given them so much.

Another daughter, Erin Tackett says, "I had heard some of the food pantries were short, that's what kind of started it."

In fact, they say Bob had been worried in the week after the storm. As people without power were forced to pitch their food, pantries struggled replace it.

Bob's wife Mary says, "He was concerned about a lot of the people out there because it wasn't that they just didn't have power, or didn't have air conditioning. They were losing their food."

And some families are still having a tough time. So the Tacketts hope they can make a small difference in Bob's name.

Frank Finnegan is the Executive Director of the Foodbank. He says, "This will bring in two semi trailer loads of these pantry packs." They can help about 2000 families with this donation.

Finnegan says, "If that was his desire to help the community, particularly those who were impacted by the storm, then that's exactly what these funds are going to go for."

The family gave this gift with mixed emotions, glad for the good it will do, but sad about the loss that brought them here. Sara Tackett says, "It's sad because of why we're here obviously. But it's good that we can help people."

The St. Louis Area Foodbank expects 14 more trailer-loads of food by the end of the month to help families re-stock their supplies.