Clint’s girls
story by Lexi Namer
“We are nothing fancy or rich,” says Clint Tucker, “but in my eyes, I’m the richest man in the world because of my angels.”
Ask anyone to describe Clint, 33, and he or she won’t talk about how easy his life is or how he is currently in the middle of a divorce. Instead, people paint the portrait of a man filled with love and loyalty, one trying to live a simple and honest life, raising his 1- and 2- year-old daughters, Savannah “Scooter” and Makayla “Kay Kay” Tucker, and juggling single fatherhood with owning and running Tucker Auto Repair in Owensboro.
He is the kind of man who doesn’t drink when it is his week to keep the girls or to drive fast when they are in his car.
Behind this man stands a village: a cast of family and friends who support and help him succeed. Clint’s father and his stepdaughter help out in the auto shop, a place where work is taken seriously, yet is punctuated by the girls’ arrival. They transport this masculine, greasy environment into a space littered with toys and filled with giggles.
Clint and the girls live next door to his parents’ home, where Clint discovered his passion for mechanics, and down the dirt road from his brother and sister-in-law. A tight-knit family, they are often found eating dinner at one another’s houses, huddling around bonfires and crafting s’mores on the family’s spacious land.
At any given moment, Clint’s mom, Brenda Tucker, is brushing Kay Kay’s hair while Clint is readying Scooter for bed. His sister-in-law chases the girls around the land while his brother helps Clint grill the steaks and burgers.
It’s not easy, raising a family and owning a business as a single dad, but no one can say that Clint does not dedicate every minute to being a loving father and diligent worker.
Clint Tucker's stoic demeanor dissipates when he looks at his daughter "Scooter."
Getting ready for bed comes with a bonus for 1-year-old Savannah "Scooter" Tucker: a kiss from her father, Clint. They live 17 miles south of Owensboro in Utica. "We are nothing fancy or rich," Clint says, "but in my eyes I'm the richest man in the world because of my angels."
In the evening, single father Clint Tucker trades the floor of his auto shop for the floor of his parents' home as he plays with his younger daughter, "Scooter."
Wanting his attention, "Kay Kay" points to Clint while Brenda Tucker kisses her granddaughter on the forehead, trying to momentarily distract her so Clint can feed Scooter.
Clint Tucker props himself against the garage wall in the late afternoon. Longtime customer Carol Adams says Clint "is the most honest guy. I have nine employees, and they all send their cars to him. He's a great guy."
Clint Tucker takes a break from work to explain shop tools to his daughter, "Kay Kay." He says he will not push her to follow in his footsteps. "She will be whatever she wants to be," he says about his daughter's future.
Clint's mother, Brenda Tucker, holds "Scooter," while talking with Clint's wife and waiting for him to finish work for the weekend. Brenda often cares for the children and helps Clint do things like fixing the girls' hair and picking out clothes.
Clint struggles to juggle his children and a work issue. His stepdaughter, Amber, 20, tries to help him fix the problem, while his mother, Brenda, holds Clint's daughter "Scooter" and tries to get "Kay Kay" to stop playing with the receipt machine on Clint's desk.
On an unexpected night off from parenting, Clint takes a couple of Bud Lights to his brother's house. He refuses to drink when he has the girls and drinks little in the event that he has to go pick them up in the middle of the night.
Clint Tucker, 33, shows the moon to his daughter, Savannah "Scooter" Tucker, 1. They are at Clint's brother's house for a Friday night cookout and bonfire with family and friends.