Destinie Andrews will never forget the last time that she heard from her father. Sadly, 75-year-old Jim Lau died in Hurricane Helene. He was a security officer for the Macon County Courthouse in North Carolina.
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Andrews said her father shouldn't have even been working. He had been battling prostate cancer, but he refused to let that get him down. Lau always thought about others and about how he could serve his community. Stubborn and kind, he was everything you could want in a father.
"My Daddy had been battling prostate cancer, and yet still, wanted to work," Andrews told People. "To serve. He was stubborn, a little hard-headed headed and determined."
From comforting her as a kid with a busted lip from rollerblading to watching her start a family of her own, Lau was always in his daughter's corner. He was a proud and doting grandfather as well. He was the kind to always make his 5-year-old and 2-year-old grandchildren feel loved. Despite living in North Carolina and his daughter living in Florida, the distances between them never felt vast.
"He was very excited to be a grandpa," she said. "He never missed a birthday or Christmas card for them. And would FaceTime visit occasionally just to catch up. He loved my boys, and they knew it, even with the distance between us, he made sure of that."
It's safe to say that Lau was thinking of his daughter until his dying day. A few days before Hurricane Helene, he sent her a message. Lau asked his daughter to stay safe and to not let him worry.
Hurricane Helene Kills Security Guard
"Hey why are you sending that Hurricane up my way? They canceled school Thursday and Friday but not court," he wrote. "They say that it should be here by 8pm tomorrow night. I hope you stay safe, let me know if anything serious happens so that I don't worry, please."
Sadly, going to work ended up costing the security officer his life. He got caught up in the flood waters when Helene caused the rivers to overflow. Witnesses saw him in his truck before it got swept underwater. He tragically drowned during Helene.
"I have periods where I am fine, and then I am losing it all over again," Andrews said. "I will remember him as my hero. There's really no other way to word it. If I needed him, no matter the distance, he was always there."
Following his passing, Andrews said she had many people reach out and comment on how wonderful of a man her dad was.
"I hadn't realized just how many lives he touched in his 75 years," she says. "The love is truly felt. I have been trying to keep up with the massive amount of outreach, the wonderful things people are saying about their time spent with my Dad. It's just amazing."
It's not easy to sum up a man's life in a few simple words. Jim Lau was a loving father, a kind neighbor, and a light to his community. Let us honor that memory by bringing a little more laughter and smiles to the world.
