A barber known as the “mayor” of the Halifax peninsula’s north end died last month.
Leroy Bennett, 70, died on Aug. 21 in his home in Cherry Brook, N.S., said his son, Cracean Bennett, in Bennett’s Barbershop on Sunday.
The unexpected death was due to an illness, he said.
“He just liked to make you laugh,” Cracean said of his father.
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Cracean and his brother own barbershops with similar branding in Porters Lake and Dartmouth, respectively.
Bennett, who was also known for being a musician, had worked at the barbershop located near Almon and Agricola streets since 1984. It was previously owned by his father.
Over the years, he collected and attached to the shop’s walls a variety of unique objects, including albums, photos of cowboys, a licence plate and a dagger.
One of his most talked-about items was an all-caps “Make America Great Again” sign from U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
“Lots of fingers,” Leroy told Global News last year, referencing the feedback to it.
The sign, which was located at the shop’s window at the time of the interview, was visible on a wall in the shop Sunday.
“He was a jokester. He was fun to be around, loved to play music, loved to giggle and laugh for sure,” Cracean said.
Cracean said he wasn’t sure where the unofficial mayoral title originated or whether Bennett had created it himself.
“He loved people, and he loved people talking and telling stories,” Donna DeCoste, Bennett’s partner, said.
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She described him as a good-natured instigator.
“He loved all people, it didn’t matter who,” DeCoste said.
It has been “a rough time” for family members and friends, Cracean said.
The family held a celebration of life event on Saturday.
“We had music there. Dad didn’t believe in a funeral. He wanted to go out with a bang,” Cracean said.
Hank Williams’ songs were sung, and people discussed the different good things Bennett did for the community, he said.
When asked, Bennett would cut hair in a hospital, a retirement home and other places, Cracean said.
“Dad’s not somebody you’re going to forget,” Cracean said.
“It didn’t matter where you go, a lot of people liked him and loved him.”
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Another event is scheduled to be held between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday at Royal Canadian Legion Vimy Branch 27 at Almon and Gladstone streets, a couple of blocks away from the barbershop.
Cracean said he started working at the shop on Mondays three years ago so his dad could have two days off in row. The plan is to keep the shop open on Mondays until he and his brothers determine the shop’s future.
When asked whether he has any children who could one day take over the shop, Cracean said he does have a daughter who has been cutting hair for a few years.
“That would be a twist, yeah. That would be a good twist,” he said, adding that she’s currently busy with a four-month-old baby.
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