BySam Bauman

Published:Sep. 16, 2021 at 2:35 PM EDT

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Chances are you’ve heard his name.

“I don’t think anybody don’t know Jack,” said his daughter Terri Painter.

But perhaps you know him better as, “Crazy Jack, not just Jack.”

Savannah native “Crazy Jack” Gilmore lived a life full of crazy stories.

“There’s so many stories about how he became Crazy Jack. By putting a gun in someone’s mouth because they disrespected my mother, to jumping off trains,” said Terri Painter.

“He was sitting in the shoe shop and some old man walked in and said, ‘hey Jack, remember that time we stole that boat?’” Recalls Jack’s grandson Travis Painter.

So many stories in fact it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the nickname came from.

“He would always say, ‘they might call me crazy, but they don’t call me stupid,’” said Travis.

So, maybe it came from him being crazy smart when it comes to business.

“He’s got a small business. He’s been in the shoe shop business for 42 years,” says Terri.

Or maybe it’s because he was crazy generous.

“He loved everybody, and he would help someone even if he didn’t know them,” said Jack’s son Johnny Gilmore.

Or possibly he just had a crazy amount of faith in others.

“He always believed in anybody for some reason. I never heard him talk negative about anybody,” added Travis.

But perhaps the craziest thing, is that Jack wasn’t the crazy one, but rather it seems others were just crazy about Jack.

“People are still going to be talking to me everyday and telling me more stories that I haven’t even heard yet probably,” said Gilmore.

Which is exactly what Jack would want, “really just carry on his stories,” Travis says.

And yeah, it’s okay to miss him like crazy.

“I give it all to him. Everything I do is for him,” says Travis.

Despite his death, Crazy Jack and Grandson’s Shoe Repair will remain open

For more information on Crazy Jack’s funeral, clickhere.

To find out how you can help honor his life and support his family during this time, clickhere.

Copyright 2021 WTOC. All rights reserved.

On-Air Schedule

Victor Sosa