He said he will deeply miss talking about astronomy and history with Gordon McLerran, a retired laboratory director for the Texas Department of Health. Joyce McLerran, who worked many years for the Corpus Christi Museum of Natural History, taught him to respect even those at the lowest end of the social spectrum, Victor McLerran said. Both Gordon and Joyce McLerran traced their ancestry to clans in Scotland, Victor McLerran said. It was a fitting tribute that his parents were in the section of the plane that struck a tower, Victor McLerran said. Though the impact killed them, it tore open a large enough hole in the plane to allow many passengers to escape.
Officials say that tear saved many lives.
They were always there for others. Thacker, a loan officer at the bank, had been instrumental in planning the trip for the Russellville group and was described as someone full of energy who had a great passion for travel. Thacker's copper Mercedes was still in the bank parking lot. The bank's flag flew at half-staff, and on Thacker's desk, friends left flowers. Bank President James Biggers said he would miss the sound of Thacker's energetic footsteps coming in before opening hours.