Family, friends moving on from ‘shocking’ loss of Newmarket man murdered

Blake Bibby will be remembered for his infectious laugh, fun personality, love of his family, intelligence and athleticism.

The 36-year-old man died of his injuries at a 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 around 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 Bibbys growing up.

“I visited them in Newmarket and they stayed in the same house for many years,” Gregorash said. “We have a lot of memories there and we went out to some of the local places. We hung out, but it was more about meeting at home, hanging out and having a few drinks when we were younger.”

The family would close 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, had a great laugh and smile,” Gregorash said. “He was most noted for his laugh. He was very popular, he had a lot of friends. He was cool, smart, athletic and excelled at many 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,” Velasquez said.

“It’s almost a numbing feeling, honestly,” she said of hearing the news of his death.

She described Bibby as a kind person who cared so much about people and animals. They played basketball together and hung out for coffee in town with friends.

“It was so much fun,” Velasquez said. “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 fun and be around lots of people. It was always fun with him. He 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 her sister, Laura Lee, on August 5, 2021. Velasquez said she truly loves her.

“He loved her and missed her every day,” Velasquez said. “Everyone was so sad because he died. 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 very much.”

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 over $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 stayed a long time and did a lot of the same things,” Gregorash said. “Mitchell followed in his footsteps. Blake was also close to his brother and sister’s children, nieces and nephews. She loved all her nieces and nephews and especially loved animals and dogs.”

Gregorash spoke to the family. She said there were no right things to say as it was an “unimaginable” loss. The family is trying to get their head around it, she said.

“His parents are devastated,” Gregorash said. “Two years ago, Blake’s sister died. They lost two children in the last two years. It’s hard on the family. Everyone is shocked at how it happened.”

Mckenzie Gill, 30, of Toronto, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection with his death. Friends say the woman arrested was an estranged ex-girlfriend.

“When I first heard the news, I didn’t know the cause of death at the time, just that he died,” Gregorash said. “We were shocked and it took a few days to find out all the details.”

Velasquez remembers a time when Bibby was traveling to Hamilton for a Halloween party. She said he was nice to everyone he met, even new people he had never met before.

“To see how much other people love him as much as I do was the best feeling,” Velasquez said.

Velasquez recently gave birth to a daughter and spoke 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’s watching over my daughter that he never got to meet,” Velasquez said. “We will all miss him very much. All of us. No matter how far apart you live, no matter how much time we spend between not talking and being busy, I hope he knows how much I loved him as a person because he was absolutely fantastic.”