Orange Beach, Ala. – (OBA) – When Susan Sizemore first started working for Tacky Jacks and Buddy Skipper some 22 years ago or so, she got a firsthand look at the benevolent nature of her new boss.

A new art program was started in town for children but the new initiative lacked effective transportation. Sizemore says Skipper donated upwards of $2,500 to provide a bus to get kids to and from the program.

“I was the new marketing director and I said, ‘oh, this is a great opportunity for us to let people about this donation,’” Sizemore said. “Buddy would have none of it. He didn’t want publicity for the majority of things he did in the community. People don’t even know all the things like that he’s done over the years.”

The primary owner of iconic Tacky Jacks restaurants in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan, Skipper, died in a tragic accident Jan. 30 when a truck he was got stuck on hunting camp road and reportedly caught fire on his property in Clarke County. He leaves behind that benevolent legacy and many, many years of quietly addressing needs he saw in the communities his restaurants served.

One of the more visible contributions is to the Tacky Jacks Veterans' Fund where each Tacky Jacks location collects money to buy all-terrain wheelchairs for wounded and disabled veterans. Tacky Jacks matches the donations and when enough money is collected to buy one Tacky Jacks works with the Marine League to find a deserving veteran.

Scooter Frederickson works with the Marine League and Tacky Jacks on the chair donations and recalled how Buddy would stay in the background at ceremonies and other people would be the face of Tacky Jacks when talking about the work for veterans.

“Buddy was real private,” Frederickson said. “He liked to watch from afar. He never did get involved in the media or any of that. He was very private about it.”

The effort extending help toward veterans was one of Buddy’s favorite.

“Anything I’ve ever asked of Buddy Skipper to do with the military he has donated it,” Frederickson said. “But he loved to donate to veterans and to anything. They donated one of their buildings for Toys for Tots one year. They’ve donated money.”

In addition to securing all-terrain chairs for disabled veterans, Tacky Jacks bought a custom-built chair from the Beach N Buggys service then donated it right back to them with one thing in mind.

“If a veteran comes to Orange Beach and calls Beach N Buggys to rent a chair and they are a disabled veteran then they get that chair for free,” Frederickson said.

Of the first three to receive chair donations, two were Marines and one was an Air Force veteran.

“We gave the first chair away to a Marine who disabled was in a drunk-driving accident,” Frederickson said. “The next one we gave to a Marine who was a triple amputee. The third one we gave away was in conjunction with Beach N Buggys that builds wheelchairs and gave it to an Air Force veteran that had ALS or some other crippling disease.

Lathan Funeral Home in Jackson, Alabama, is handling arrangements and a graveside service is set for 11 a.m. on Feb. 4 at Trinity Memorial Gardens. Buddy was 76 at the time of his death, three days before his 77^th birthday on Feb. 2.