Bobbie McCray was working with Wayne's Erecting of Johnston County on an expansion at Yeager Airport in Charleston, W.Va., when a heavy roof beam fell and crushed him, authorities said.
Inspectors with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the accident. There was no word Friday on what caused the structure to collapse.
"We talked to him like minutes before on the phone, and he was saying he was coming home. Then, when we heard the news, it really shocked us," said Lenner Tinsley, McCray's mother-in-law.
McCray was the father of seven children, ranging in age from 16 to 6. His wife is expecting the couple's eighth child in December.
His work often took him away from home for several weeks at a time. His family always looked forward to the celebration when he came home.
"He was telling me that when he got here he wanted to celebrate his birthday," said his widow, Pam McCray.
Relatives said the McCray children were the focus of their father's life.
"He really loved his kids. He called Dashawn and Antwan every day. Even while he was in West Virginia, he called every day," Tinsley said.
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