Blake Bibby will be remembered for his infectious laugh, fun personality, love for his family, intelligence and athleticism.
The 36-year-old man passed away from his injuries in hospital after York Regional Police found him with stab wounds outside an apartment complex on Millard Avenue at Main Street South in Newmarket on July 14 at about 10:30 p.m.
“It’s shocking,” said his cousin, Camille Gregorash. “I hope there is justice because this is messed up.”
Gregorash, who lives in Ottawa, remembers spending time with Blake and the Bibby family growing up.
“We would visit them in Newmarket and they were in the same house for many years,” said Gregorash. “We have a lot of memories there and went out to some of the local places. We hung out but it was more getting together at home, hanging out, and having a few drinks when we were younger.”
The family would shut down their restaurant, Bibby’s Corner in Beeton, during the holidays and spend time there. Gregorash said Bibby was always the life of the party.
“He was fun, he had a great laugh and smile,” said Gregorash. “He was most noted for his laugh. He was really popular, had a lot of friends. He was a cool guy, intelligent, athletic, and excelled at a lot of sports.”
Kristy Velasquez attended Sir William Mulock Secondary School in Newmarket with Bibby.
“We were really close throughout high school with our group of friends,” said Velasquez.
“It’s almost a numbing feeling, honestly,” she said about hearing the news of his death.
She described Bibby as a good person who cared so much about people and animals. They would play basketball together and hang out at a Coffee Time in town with friends.
“He was just so much fun,” said Velasquez. “He had this infectious laugh that as soon as you heard it, you knew Blake was there. He was always positive, and always wanted to have a good time and be around a whole bunch of people. It was always fun with him. He would always put a smile on your face. You would always look forward to seeing Blake because you knew you were going to have a good time.”
Bibby lost his sister, Laura Lee, on Aug. 5, 2021. Velasquez said he really loved her.
“He loved and missed her every day,” said Velasquez. “Everyone was so sad because she passed. We were all there for him and the family. Now this, it’s unbelievable but I know they had a good relationship. I know he missed her a lot.”
A GoFundMe has been launched to help the family pay for funeral expenses for Bibby, as they reel from the loss of another family member. It has raised more than $5,700 with a goal of $20,000.
Bibby had an older sister, Pamala Sue Zurick, and a younger brother, Mitchell. Gregorash said he and his younger brother were very close.
“They hung out a lot and did a lot of the same things,” said Gregorash. “Mitchell followed in his footsteps. Blake was also close with his brother and sister’s children, nieces and nephews. He loved all of his nieces and nephews and loved animals and dogs especially.”
Gregorash spoke with the family. She said there are no right things to say because it is "unimaginable" loss. The family is trying to wrap their head around it, she said.
“His parents are devastated,” said Gregorash. “Two years ago, Blake’s sister passed away. They lost two children in the past couple of years. It’s hard on the family. Everybody is shocked by the way it happened.”
Mckenzie Gill, 30, of Toronto has been arrested and charged with second degree murder in connection to his death. Friends say the arrested woman was an estranged former girlfriend.
“When we first heard the news, we didn’t know the cause of death at the time, just that he passed away,” said Gregorash. “We were shocked and it took a few days to find out all the details.”
Velasquez remembers a time when Bibby would travel to Hamilton for a Halloween party. She said he was nice to everyone he met, even new people he had never seen before.
“To see how much other people loved him as much as I did was the best feeling,” said Velasquez.
Velasquez recently gave birth to a daughter and had been speaking with him to find a date and time that would work best for him to meet her. It will never happen now.
“I hope he watches down on my daughter that he never got to meet,” said Velasquez. “We’re all going to miss him a lot. All of us. No matter how far away you live, no matter how much time we spend in between not talking and being busy, I hope he knows how much we loved him as a person because he was absolutely fantastic.”
