It's hard for Tara Becker to narrow down which quality made her son Alex most memorable.

Some may remember his love of video games. Others may recall how reliable he was. But Tara Becker says that her son's kindness is what set him apart in his 22 years, a life cut short when he was robbed while walking from work to his St. Paul home last December. With Feb. 17 marking national Random Acts of Kindness Day, she asked that the community keep his memory alive by extending that caring nature toward others.

"We're not expecting anything big. It could be as small as saying 'hi' to a neighbor, or opening a door for someone that's struggling," Tara Becker said. "One kind act dominoes into another kind act, and I think the world needs more kindness."

Three men robbed Alex Becker of his cellphone and cash before fatally shooting him in an alley behind his home in the 500 block of W. Lawson Avenue as he walked home from work the night of Dec. 27. It was the city's record 40th homicide of the year. Two of the men have since been arrested and charged with his murder.

Alex Becker lived his entire life in St. Paul's North End neighborhood and was a 2019 graduate of Como Park High School, where he served in the JROTC. A hard worker who was devoted to his parents and siblings, he was a creative soul who loved animals, movies, anime and manga, according to his online obituary, which said: "The world lost the brightest light with Alex's passing."

Since losing her son, Tara Becker has shared dozens of photos of him growing from child to adult. She didn't think much of it at first when her sister asked to create a Facebook group to encourage others to do acts of kindness in his memory.

Tara Becker
Alex Becker

To her surprise, the group grew to more than 200 members pledging to be kind in remembrance of Alex.

In lieu of direct support for her family, Becker wants the community to join in offering support to "other people that might not have as much support as we currently do."

"What happened to him was just senseless, and I didn't want the memory of him as a person to be about that. I wanted it to be [about] who he was as a person," Becker said. "Alex was a very kind, generous person. ... We wanted to keep that part of him here even though he's not here.

"If he had a connection with you ... he would improve your day tenfold. I think we can all do that. If we take a moment to think about it, we can all spread that to others."