Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann arrived at Scotiabank Arena for his game against the Vancouver Canucks this past Saturday wearing a neon yellow safety vest.
It’s a look that may be suitable for many jobs but unusual for a National Hockey leaguer.
That vest, however, was not meant for work. It was worn to honour a special person who touched many lives: a man by the name of Kevin Wilson, a diehard Leafs fan McMann knew from a Loblaws store in downtown Toronto.
Wilson died suddenly in hospital on January 8 at St. Michael’s Hospital. He was 48.
“(Kevin) always had positive things to say so I just wanted to honour him,” McMann said.
Wilson was in charge of shopping carts inside the grocery store at Lake Shore Boulevard West and Bathurst Street, but he specialized in kindness as he was someone who connected with nearly everyone who walked through the door.
Inside the Loblaws, customers have placed flowers with personal notes along with Maple Leafs memorabilia by the shopping carts where Wilson would usually be found.
Customer Anthony Nolan has been coming to this location for years and said Wilson had “charisma.”
“He had a kind of personality that was outgoing and you could see the goodness within him,” he told CTV News Toronto.
“Every time somebody came in, he made their day,” added Linda Medeiros.
Jennifer Tunjic said Wilson, who worked at the downtown Loblaws for five years, didn’t “realize how much people loved him.”
‘I’m so heartbroken’
Sofia Gomes worked with Wilson for all of that time.
“I have no words because I’m so heartbroken. … (Kevin’s passing) devastates me,” she told CTV News Toronto.
Wayne Walker says his affable colleague always tried to make time for as many people as possible.
“He spoke to probably every customer that came up the escalator, including children and (babies in) strollers,” he said.
While employed there, Wilson had became a fixture with both customers and coworkers, especially with Leafs fans.
Customer Mitch Desrosiers said he’d light up when he saw those wearing the blue and white.
“He’d recognize me because I would wear Leafs stuff a lot of the time and he’d give me a fist bump. We’d talk Leafs. Literally, every time,” he said.
Frank Crupi, known online as Hockey Illuminati, dedicated a post to Wilson last week on his social media pages.
In the post Crupi wrote about McMann, who would pop in to the Loblaws every now and then. He was Wilson’s favorite Leaf player.
“He got a photo with them one time. He was so excited to show it to me,” Crupi said.
‘A really good person’
Before last Saturday night’s game McMann asked the store if he could borrow one of Kevin’s vests and his name tag. Loblaws happily obliged.
“(Kevin) was just a really good spirit, a really good person. (He) affected a lot of people positively, I think, when they walked into that place,” McMann said.
A crowdfunding page set up to cover Wilson’s funeral costs has quickly shot up to over $20,000.
Wilson leaves behind his wife, Margaret.
Funeral arrangements and service details have yet to be announced.
