Dallas 'Tick' McKinley was loved by many
He died last week after kayak overturned near Cross Tree Lane home
SANDUSKY —
A city man who died last week in an apparent accident on a kayak was beloved by friends and family, according to reactions on social media after his death was reported.
Dallas “Tick” McKinley, 58, died Aug. 14, a day after being pulled from the water by Sandusky Fire Department dive team members. He was not breathing when he was rescued but EMTs successfully revived him en route to Firelands Regional Medical Center.
McKinley died at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.
The accident was reported by McKinley’s brother. The two men were working at a home in the gated community just east of the Cedar Point causeway. Dallas was in the back, clearing growth along a seawall in the channel, a fire report states.
“Dallas McKinley wasn’t just someone I knew; he was family. My right-hand man. The one I could call on for anything, no matter the time. He made my life, and every day in it, so much easier just by being there,” former city commissioner Blake Harris wrote in a post. “My family and I loved him deeply. We talked nearly every day, and my day-to-day will never be the same without him.”
Others recalled McKinley similarly.
“I just don’t have words! I’m so sad to hear about this! Thank you for all the support you gave him,” Monica Manasco wrote. “He surely has made an imprint in my life. I’m so proud of the person he was becoming.”
“I’m gonna miss our family’s 6th man! He was Superman to you and to our family! He will be missed,” Lauren Leigh Coleman wrote.
He knew how to make everyone feel special, Karen Harris posted.
“He was family in every sense. I will miss him saying, ‘Momma you know I can,’” she wrote.
McKinley, a 1986 Sandusky High School graduate, “Jack of all trades, according to his obituary, who loved working and always stressed to his kids "if a man don't work, a man don't eat."
He previously worked at Routh Packing, AV Lake Metal and as a private contractor. He was on a landscaping job at the time of the accident. His is survived by his wife, Dawnisha, seven children and many bonus children, relatives and friends, according to his obituary.
