A Toronto Maple Leafs player paid tribute over the weekend to a grocery store worker and fan who died suddenly last week and is being remembered as a warm, friendly face who loved the team.
On Saturday, Bobby McMann honoured Kevin Wilson with a walk-on tribute, showing up to a game with the Vancouver Canucks wearing a yellow safety vest.
Wilson wore that vest every day to work at the Loblaws store at Lake Shore Boulevard W. and Bathurst Street in downtown Toronto, where he was a front-end service clerk.
“Just a really good spirit, really good person. Affected a lot of people positively when they walked into that place,” McMann said to Sportsnet about Wilson. “And he was just a lifelong Leafs fan. Always wanted to talk hockey, would always record the games, watch them later.”
Wilson, 48, died of complications after contracting meningitis last week, according to his family and the store.
McMann, who shopped at the store where Wilson worked, also wore Wilson’s nametag on Saturday when he walked into Scotiabank Arena.
Loblaws has set up a memorial at the front of the store for Wilson that features photos of him, flowers, cards and a Maple Leafs hockey jersey and scarf.
“Kevin was the heart of our team and was loved by so many of our staff and customers. It is heartbreaking not to see his smile at the front of our store,” the store said in a Facebook post on Friday.
Maple Leafs player Bobby McCann points to a Loblaws nametag of fan Kevin Wilson. McCann wore the nametag on Saturday as a tribute to Wilson, a fan of the team and a grocery store worker who shared his enthusiasm for the Leafs with customers. (Bobby McCann/Instagram)
‘A beautiful, significant piece of symbolism’
Frank Crupi, a Loblaws customer and hockey influencer, said in an interview at the store on Monday said McCann’s tribute on Saturday shows that “Bobby McMann is a McMann of the people.”
It was not a small gesture, he added.
“That was a beautiful, significant piece of symbolism from Bobby McMann, who comes into this Loblaws regularly, because he lives in the area,” he said.
Crupi’s own friendship with Wilson began about four years ago. At first, when Crupi was shopping at the store, he and Wilson would simply nod at each on game day. That then progressed to talking about the team.
“I would always see him on game day, Leafs game day, wearing a Leafs jersey,” Crupi said.
“We just slowly started to connect and bond over hockey and over the Leafs. And he was the biggest Leafs fan I knew … He always had his Leafs jersey on, a Leafs toque, a Leafs pin. He was like one of the most die-hard guys there was.”
Crupi said Wilson was always excited whenever McMann came into the store and snapped a photo with him during one of his visits.
“There was one time Kevin got some pictures with Bobby, and he was so excited to meet him. And he came up to me, and he was like, ‘Bobby McMann, he’s my friend, he’s now my friend,'” he said.
‘He had this nice warmth to him,’ customer says
Crupi said he has been emotional since he learned of Wilson’s death and he remembers that he had a “funny, goofy personality.”
“He had this nice warmth to him and he was so friendly, greeting customers. He loved kids. And he always had a smile on his face when I was talking with him.”
A handmade sign is shown here that is part of the memorial to Kevin Wilson. (Michael Cole/CBC)
Wilson also made friends with other customers, especially other Leafs fans, including couple Randy and Karen Kushnir.
“He was a very, very nice man. He wore the Leafs on his heart,” Karen Kushnir said.
“We’d say: ‘Big game tonight,'” she said.
“Oh yeah, and he was always pumped up,” Randy said.
‘Always a smile on his face,’ another customer says
Nicolas Wen Shea, another customer, said he was shocked to hear that Wilson had died and expressed his condolences to his wife.
“Always a smile on his face. You wouldn’t know if the Leafs lost 6-1 … Extreme optimist,” Wen Shea said.
“Good man. Really miss him. I’ve definitely high-fived him a few times after a Leafs win.”
A co-worker has set up a Gofundme in Wilson’s name to help with his funeral costs.
“Kevin was always smiling and was loved by both his co-workers and customers alike,” the fundraiser reads.
“He was especially known for his love of the Toronto Maple Leafs, often sharing his enthusiasm and the game scores with everyone around him. He truly was a ray of sunshine, and his kindness and warmth will be forever missed.”
