The family of Tony Eyles still can’t believe he’s gone.
“He knew a lot of people, he touched a lot of people. But his life was cut so short that people should understand how much of a loss this is, not just for us but for his family, friends, coworkers, everyone,” his brother-in-law Neal Pender told Global News Friday.
The young dad of two kids was in the McDonald’s drive-thru at Main and Terminal early Wednesday morning when he opened his car door to retrieve his debit card and was crushed by his rolling vehicle.
“My sister is devastated, they were best friends, they had an absolutely amazing marriage,” Pender said.
“It’s tough to even look at her, she is such a happy person and he was such a spark in her life.”
Pender said their two children, ages six and eight, are still so young and struggling to understand what happened. Eyles was also his parent’s only son.
“Everyone is just devastated,” Pender added.
“He was a family man, he did everything he could to provide for his kids and my sister but that’s not where it stopped. He did everything to please everybody else. He was the kind of guy who could go into a room and make everybody feel comfortable.
“He’s somebody you could look up to and I certainly did.”
Pender said his brother-in-law’s body is still with the coroner as they are working to determine exactly how he died.
Eyles was the main provider of the family, working as an elevator mechanic, Pender explained, but that doesn’t even come close to the hole his death will leave in all of their lives.
“His kids idolized their dad,” he said.
“For my sister, he was her best friend, their main support system, it’s heartbreaking.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family and help with any financial costs associated with Eyles’ death.
“We’re all going to have to step up as a family to fill as much of that void as we can but it’s not even going to be enough, ever, I think,” Pender said.
“It’s nice to take, at least, the financial burden off my sister’s shoulders right now.”
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