Blake Randall Thacker

Blake Randall Thacker, age 25, passed away on Sunday, June 14, 2026. He was among the twelve individuals who lost their lives in the aviation accident at Sky Dive Kansas City in Butler, Missouri.

Born on December 28, 2000, in Tallahassee, Florida, Blake was the beloved son of Dr Richard and Sherry Thacker. Growing up in Tallahassee, he attended Roberts Elementary School, Montford Middle School, and Lawton Chiles High School. During his time at Chiles, Blake was an active member of the National Honor Society and graduated in 2019 as a National Merit Scholar. He was deeply involved in the school music program and marching band, where he was a talented and dedicated member and leader of the drumline.

Blake went on to attend the University of Florida as a National Merit Scholar, where he earned Bachelor’s degrees in computer science and philosophy and a Master’s degree with honors distinction in computer science engineering. He was a member of the Marching Gator drumline, an ambassador for the UF college of engineering and a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. While in college Blake had the opportunity to work with NASA as lead intern contributing to work associated with the Artemis II mission. Following graduation, he began his career as an aviation software Engineer at Garmin in Olathe, Kansas.

Those who knew Blake remember him as intelligent, funny, kind-hearted, and deeply caring. He had a passion for protecting the environment and loved spending time outdoors, especially hiking.

One of Blake’s greatest passions was skydiving. He had over 300 jumps, had earned a United States Parachute Association (USPA) Level C License and was working on his coach certification. Skydiving gave him courage, confidence, and a profound sense of purpose. He often spoke about the joy it brought him and encouraged others who were interested to experience it for themselves. Among his most cherished memories were two skydives he shared with his mother, Sherry.

Blake is survived by his parents, Dr. Richard and Sherry Thacker, his younger sister, Allison Thacker, a host of close family and friends, and his beloved cat, Sasha.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to either of the following charities in Blake’s honor: The United States Parachute Association’s U.S. Skydiving Safety Foundation or the Leon County Humane Society.

A celebration of Blake’s life will be held on Friday, July 3rd at East Hill Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida. Family visitation will begin at 10:00 am followed by services at 11:00 am. There will be Facebook Livestream of the services from the church facebook page.