A Tipperary man shot dead in Kansas City last year was “always there to support” his family when they needed him, mourners at his memorial mass heard.
Shaun Brady (44) who was originally from Nenagh, was killed in an altercation outside his restaurant Brady and Fox in Kansas City, Missouri on August 28th 2024. Mr Brady was a co-owner and chef of the Irish restaurant.
The father-of-two was reportedly shot as he intervened in a suspected robbery.
Mr Brady, who was bringing rubbish bags out from his restaurant, sustained multiple gunshot wounds close to his restaurant after he confronted several people who were attempting to steal a car.
Damien Brady, a brother of the talented chef, summed up what Mr Brady meant to everyone in his family and community at his midday memorial service at Saint Mary’s of the Rosary Church in Nenagh.
He said that Shaun Paul was “tragically taken before his time.”
“Shaun Paul was a loving husband to Katie. A doting father to Seamus and Mary and cherished son to our mother Mary. Although Shaun Paul was the middle child in our family he was our big brother. He was always there to support us when we needed him,” Mr Brady continued.
"He was a funny uncle to all of his nieces and nephews and a dear friend to so many. Shaun Paul led a full life. He relentlessly pursued his passion to become the talented chef he was.”
Cheffing
He explained that the family and his brother knew from “such a young age that this (chef) was his vocation.
“He wanted to do Home Economics in school so he fought to get into the girls secondary school Home Ec classes. He would leave the brothers a few classes a week to go to an all girls school and do a class that was typically not taught to boys. Shaun Paul was in his element.
“To be that age and to know that cheffing was going to be his career and to be brave enough and stubborn enough to follow it and not be told no. Shaun Paul had a drive and a determination to succeed. A role model to us all.
“Shaun Paul had built a wonderful life for himself in Kansas. He had become a treasured part of the community. (He) was so proud to call Nenagh his home. He never forgot where he came from.”
Damien highlighted that his brother will be greatly missed by so many.
”We are all heartbroken by his loss. He has left us with so many precious memories. We will grieve all the stolen chances to make new memories with Shaun Paul but we will treasure the ones we were lucky enough to have.”
A black and white photograph of Mr Brady was placed on a table by the altar surrounded by floral wreaths of white roses, lilies and carnations.
Symbols of Mr Brady’s life were brought to the altar, including a Tipperary jersey with those gathered in the church hearing he was very proud of his county and his home town and his Irish heritage, a Kansas City shirt as he was very active in the community, his cap which became histrademark of his Irishness, and his chef’s uniform - which represented his passion and skill for cooking.
Chief celebrant Fr Pat Gilbert told mourners that Shaun Paul was a man of “enormous generosity, family and devotion especially to his family.”
'A family man'
Fr Gilbert said that the legacy of Shaun Paul was that he lived his life with “love, kindness and compassion.”
“Shaun Paul was above all a family man. He was the loving husband of Katie and the doting father of Seamus and Mary. I believe fatherhood was his greatest joy and he embraced it with all his heart,” he explained.
“We know your hearts are shattered but we pray you find strength in the love and the memories you shared with Shaun Paul.”
Mourners heard that Mr Brady was a man of “immense generosity, kindness and compassion” who “gave freely of himself to others whether through a listening ear, a helping hand or the meals he passionately prepared".
Fr Gilbert highlighted in his homily that the Tipperary man’s “love for cooking was not merely about food. It was a vocation. It was about bringing people together, creating joy and sharing a piece of his soul with everyone who tasted his creations.
“He brought a piece of Ireland with him to America and his restaurant became a haven for the Irish community in Kansas adorned with symbols of his homeland. It was a gathering place where people felt connected, celebrated and comforted."
Mr Brady was laid to rest at Lisbunny cemetery in his native Nenagh.
Last month the Jackson County Family Court had dropped all charges against one of two teens arrested in August last in connection with the fatal shooting.
The teen, who spent three months in juvenile custody, was released without charge.
