One of downtown Montreal’s most recognizable bartenders, Kevin Grace, has passed away at the age of 63 after a tragic bicycle accident.
Grace had been bartending at McKibbin’s Irish Pub on Bishop Street since 1997 and had an impressive network of friends and acquaintances — both inside and outside of the Montreal hospitality industry — where he had bartended for almost four decades.
Grace was the king of McKibbin’s basement bar. From Wednesdays to Saturdays, the pub’s basement watering hole — appropriately named the “Speakeasy” — was the raspy-voiced bartender’s stage.
It wasn’t uncommon for the entire 40-person speakeasy to be full of Grace’s regular customers. It also didn’t take long for newcomers to become regulars.
Grace had an infectious grizzled laugh, an uncanny memory to remember clients’ favourite drinks, a contagious sense of humour, and an impressive knack to be able to speak to anyone about anything.
Grace’s unforgettable presence was highlighted by his unmatched wit and his ability to laugh about anything, at any time.
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He was a staple around the Montreal bar scene, having also worked at Sir Winston Churchill Pub. He brought a bevy of loyal customers with him wherever he worked and was not averse to buying regulars a shot (or several) shots of chilled Moskovskaya vodka — his favourite.
Having had the pleasure of working with him for almost a decade, take a moment to send a prayer or positive thoughts to Grace, his family, and his customers, as a true master of his craft leaves the world all too soon.
People wishing to pay their respects to Kevin Grace can do so at the “One Last Goodbye” visitation on Monday, October 10 (2 to 5 pm and 7 to 9 pm).
His funeral service will take place on Tuesday, October 11 at the St Patrick’s Basilica at 2 pm.
More information about Grace’s legacy can be found on the Kane Fetterly Funeral Home website.