NEW ORLEANS — One of the workers who was killed in the Hard Rock building collapse is being laid to rest Friday. Anthony Magrette, 49, is better known as "Bubba" by his family. He was working overtime Saturday when the building came down.
"This is his work badge from the airport," Nova Espinoza, his wife, said, pointing to his badge around her neck.
Magrette's family is holding onto anything that keeps him close, including his favorite hat.
"It actually smells like him so at least I have that," Magrette's twin sister, Angela Magrette, said.
They also have a handful of cell phone videos that explain why Magrette made everyone laugh. He's seen laughing, dancing, and singing.
"He always made me laugh," Espinoza said.
Magrette was a family man and a big fan of playing jokes. His sister remembers their last trip to Walmart.
"The last time we were in Walmart, I was buying him stuff for his new apartment and he started screaming 'she's stealing!' and everybody started looking at us, so he would do little things like that. That's the kind of games he would play with you," Magrette said.
Magrette's family describes him as an extremely hardworking man. He wasn't originally supposed to be working at the Hard Rock Saturday, but he picked up an extra shift to make extra money.
"We just got our new place and we needed the extra money, we had bills to pay," Espinoza said.
His body was pulled from the collapse site Sunday. His family got to keep the harness he was wearing when he died. Magrette's boss at King Company is helping with funeral costs and A Floral Affair out of Metairie offered to provide all of the flowers.
"Been absolutely amazing. I'm still getting messages from people who want to help," Espinoza said.
His tombstone will have 'Bubba' written across. The family plans to visit him everyday, just as he would have done for them.
"The only thing that's going to really be hard is not talking to him every day. I talked to him about 3 or 4 times a day, I see him every day, I kiss him everyday, I won't get that anymore," Magrette said.
Magrette was his family's sole provider so a Go Fund Me account was created to help them get through this time. You can help the family HERE.