EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — On Tuesday night, several dozen people gathered just feet away from lots of pieces of charred siding, burned clothing, furniture strewn about outside a now destroyed house.
It's located in the 1600 block of North 42nd Street in East St. Louis.
The huge crowd came to remember the special guy who lived there.
"He really was a great person and he was more like a son to me," said Washington Park City Councilwoman Mary McKinney.
With tears in her eyes and sobbing at times, McKinney said her 40-year-old nephew, David Washington, was known as "Super Dave" around town because he had a huge heart and a passion for people.
"He's always been my main guy and there's nothing that he couldn't do. He was there when I owned my construction company. When I had fundraisers, he was known as my chef and just loved cooking everything, and, even down to cutting grass. David did it all," his aunt said.
For six years, "Super Dave," was a volunteer with the small, nonprofit group, "Feed My Peeps," which started about 10 years ago in Africa.
David Washington's aunt says her nephew enjoyed helping her load a white van each week and deliver boxes of fresh food to Metro East families unable to travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"He did it with a smile. We'd break down all those boxes. re-box them and then he would reload the truck and we'd just drive all around, serving the people," said McKinney.
But now, she said she doesn't know what she is going to do.
"I don't know what I'm gonna do. I just can't believe it," McKinney said.
Last Saturday morning she rushed to her nephew's home and saw it was a ball of fire.
Washington was trapped inside.
"I just kept screaming, Dave! Dave!" said the distraught aunt.
Sadly, "Super Dave" died.
Lots of food, stored inside his home for needy families, all destroyed in the fire.
"Yeah, that's a big loss. Weather didn't matter. Day of the week didn't matter. They were out there helping the people and that's was we all really liked about him, brother Dave," said James Madkins of Washington Park.
Madkins was one of the many who attended a balloon release and prayer vigil for "Super Dave," whom his many admirers say can't be replaced.
"No. They can try all day long, but they can't find another one. Dave was one of a kind. His life was taken too soon. I will really miss him. Our mission will continue, but right now, I'm focusing on giving him a proper funeral," said Washington's aunt.
Investigators say the cause of the house fire remains under investigation, but it appears to be electrical related.
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