Longtime Memphis bartender Shea Grauer dead after weekend shooting
Longtime Memphis bartender and former manager at The Beauty Shop Shea Grauer was killed in a shooting early Saturday morning in Memphis. He was 55 years old.
Memphis Police Department responded to a shooting at 12:03 a.m. Saturday near Lockett Place and South Belvedere Boulevard. The department confirmed to The Commercial Appeal that Grauer was killed in the shooting.
As of Monday morning, MPD had not announced any suspects, and the department said this is an ongoing investigation.
Over the weekend, tributes to Grauer were posted online by his friends and co-workers.
"Shea was a friend, son, brother, father, husband and so much more to anyone who had the honor to meet him or spend time in his world," said Karen Carrier, The Beauty Shop owner. "He graced us with his smile, his charm, silly puns and love of life every day, no matter what personal loss he endured over the years."
Grauer had been an employee at The Beauty Shop for 18 years, including 17 years as a manager.
"There are no words for this loss," Carrier said. "He was a light that was taken. Shea was not just a good one, he was pretty magical. He brought a smile to everyone that knew him."
Kevin Keough, owner of restaurants Bar Keough and Cafe Keough, worked with Grauer when he was still at The Beauty Shop.
"I first met Shea years ago when he worked at Side Street and Zinnie's. That's before we hired him at The Beauty Shop," Keough said. "There are a few people in your life that you get to work with that stand out. Shea shined."
Leanna Tedford was friends with Grauer for more than 25 years. "He was just a special person," she said. "His children were the light of his life. He spent a lot of time with his daughter Chloe in the hospital, and after her death he would go to Le Bonheur to hold babies that didn't have parents. That's the kind of person he was."
Bill Stearnes was friends with Grauer for 30 years. "I really believe Shea figured out the meaning of his life a long time ago. You could see how fiercely he loved those around him. You could see it in his smile every day."
In recent years, Grauer had also begun working in the film industry.
In addition to working on many projects in Louisiana, here at home he worked as a video playback camera operator for "Bluff City Law" and as a set decorator for "Young Rock."
"Shea was a joy to work with on set," said Augusta Campbell, Memphis-based film and TV costumer. "He was professional, but always positive. Shea was a big part of our onset camaraderie."
About seven months prior to Grauer's death, his brother Beau Grauer was also killed.
On July 24, Memphis police responded to a shooting around 10:30 p.m. on the 600 block of Hawthorne Street and found Beau Grauer dead on scene, according to a tweet by the department.
Beau Grauer was 50 when he died.
Shea Grauer leaves behind his wife, Liz Grauer, son, Ian Grauer, and daughters, Reese and Parker McLean. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Chloe Grauer-Lea.
The Kevin Shea Grauer Memorial Fund has been sent up on GoFundMe to help support Grauer's family.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. April 1 at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The Beauty Shop will host a reception and second line following the funeral.
Dima Amro covers the suburbs for The Commercial Appeal and can be reached at Dima.Amro@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @AmroDima.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining Reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Shea Grauer, longtime Memphis bartender, dead after weekend shooting
