Passers-by thanked for helping grandfather who died at Taradale shops

Taradale resident Mark Stack sadly died on Tuesday after a heart attack at the local shopping centre. Photo / Supplied

The family of a loving grandfather who died of a heart attack outside a Taradale bank this week has thanked the passers-by who rushed to his aid - after making a public appeal to find them.

Mark Stack, 72, a well-known Taradale resident and former engineer, died on Tuesday.

His son Cameron Stack said his father suffered a fatal heart attack that afternoon outside ANZ and McDonald's in Taradale.

He said his family had managed to track down and thank those on the scene who tried to save his life.

He said that included a lady who started CPR as well as staff from McDonald's, who used a defibrillator.

"We have since learnt from the Taradale community page (on social media) how many people stopped to help dad," he said.

"The amazing support from locals was heartwarming.

"We are overwhelmed by the amount of people who just simply helped and were there for our dad."

He said his father "lived for his family and grandchildren", which included three children and six grandchildren.

"He also had a love of biking, model engineering, community patrol and his work life at Pan Pac as an engineer."

He worked at Pan Pac for almost 40 years before retiring.

His family said he was in great shape when he died, despite a triple bypass a few years earlier.