A MEMORIAL FUND has been set up to ensure lasting support for the wife and two young children of Irish chef, Shaun Brady, who was shot dead outside his restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday evening.
Shaun Brady was a native of Nenagh, Co Tipperary and co-owned Brady’s KC restaurant in the Brookside area of Kansas City. Two juveniles have been arrested in connection with his killing.
Brady was taking rubbish out of the restaurant when he noticed that two young men were attempting to steal a car. An altercation took place between the 44 year year old and the thieves.
Shaun was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Shaun was well known and respected in Kansas City both for his culinary skills and his generosity of spirit.
Brady had appeared on the Fox News channel several times to do cooking demonstrations and promote Irish Fest, a local cultural celebration, which takes place again this weekend.
A traditional Irish breakfast which was due to take place on Sunday has been cancelled to allow friends and loved ones of Shaun to gather and remember him.
In a statement today, Kansas City Irish Fest Community said the group’s “hearts are absolutely broken to hear of the tragic loss of our dear friend and colleague”.
“Shaun was not only a large part of the Kansas City Irish Fest Family, his restaurant, Brady and Fox, was a place where many in the Irish community gathered,” the statement added. “It was one of Shaun’s greatest gifts to bring people together with his culinary creations.”
They have appealed to both American and Irish people to make a donation to a memorial fund set up in his honour.
“By donating to the Shaun Brady Memorial Fund, you can ensure lasting support for Shaun’s family, including his beloved wife and two young children, helping them feel the comfort and security of his legacy for years to come,” it said.
Irish Fest organisers have invited members of the public to contribute $45 to the fund, which was the price to Shaun’s event at the festival this year. All proceedings will go to the Brady family.
Donations can be made on GoFundMe.
Brady’s KC also urged patrons to support the fund and said in an earlier post on social media: “Our hearts are broken. There are no words to express our sadness, anger and frustration.”
“Our community is with Shaun’s family – forever. We appreciate the outpouring of support, offers to help, and your love,” the restaurant added.
Meanwhile, Mary Kate Gliedt, Executive Director of the Kansas City Irish Centre, said that they were “heartbroken” at the news of the death of their “stalwart supporter and true friend” Shaun.
“His restaurant Brady’s was an extension of himself — warm, open and welcoming to everyone. His excellent creations in the kitchen were no match for his innate hospitality and generosity,” she said.
Gliedt said that Shaun never declined to help when they contacted him for assistance: “He was a frequent contributor to Irish weddings, wakes, funerals and parties at the Irish centre, and always made the time to serve the community.
“Our thoughts, prayers and love are with Shaun, his wife and children, his extended family, the team at Brady’s, and all who were lucky enough to know Shaun. We at the centre, and the Kansas City community as a whole, will miss him terribly.”
Shaun is survived by his wife Kate, their two young children and his family members in Nenagh. Kate is a native of Wichita in Missouri. The couple met when Kate was on holiday in Ireland.
The family lived in Overland Park in Kansas City. Shaun and Kate married in 2005 and settled in Chicago, Illinois before moving to Kansas City, Missouri. Police in Kansas City are treating the death as a homicide. Investigations are ongoing.
Includes reporting by Mairead Maguire, Diarmuid Pepper and Muiris O’Cearbhaill.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say