Bryan Maher was a Renaissance man, good at everything he tried even mastering golf and nearly scoring a hole-in-one his first time on the greens. And he wasn't wearing golf shoes or playing with familiar irons.

Bryan's sister Stacey Maher said it didn't matter what her brother tried he always excelled, from cooking to home repair to sports to making the best cocktail you ever sipped.

At age nine, Bryan created a recipe for pickled eggs and much to the annoyance of the veteran Elmira Fall Fair pickled egg competitors, he usually won.

His life partner, Katie Mitchell, said Bryan would come home at the end of the day, pop his head into their fridge and haul out whatever was in there, moments later turning out a gourmet meal. He just had a natural talent for knowing what flavours would blend and that applied to mixing drinks and making beer. In fact, it was Bryan's interest in the alchemy of brewing that led him to co-found Block Three Brewing in 2013 when he was only 23.

Born and raised in Elmira, Bryan had been part of a beer club with his friends, first sampling international beers then eventually, making their own. As an adult, he liked the idea of becoming a brew master but expressed doubts it wouldn't happen any time soon.

He once told the Record "I thought it would be a few more years down the road, but these other guys approached me and I was ready to try something new."

Those guys were three pals, all accountants, and together the four 20-somethings sourced an empty building in St. Jacobs then completely renovated the interior, founding what has become the successful microbrewery.

Bryan learned the art of brewing beer while still a Conestoga College business student, hired by Wellington Brewery in Guelph. In fact they wanted him so badly, the company offered to pay for his second year of studies if he'd come work for them right away.

It was at the Guelph plant Bryan not only learned about brewing but created a beer that won four prestigious awards. He also gained a lot of respect from industry leaders, giving talks at major conventions.

"They were dazzled by his knowledge," said Stacey.

Bryan was only 27 when it all came to an end. He and his friend, Peter Surey of Maple, were killed in a single vehicle car crash near Killarney Provincial Park in May of this year. The reason for the crash remains unknown.

Both young men had been heading to Killarney as volunteers in the annual Friends of Killarney Park spring clean up, something Bryan had been doing since childhood with his father and Boy Scout troop.

Bryan's dad, Skip Maher, the scout troop leader, said Bryan had been volunteering in Killarney as well as in their hometown of Elmira, practically from the time he could walk: fall fairs, maple syrup festivals, Christmas lights festivals, wherever he was needed Bryan was eager to help and he usually preferred the crummy jobs, such as after-party clean ups.

Bryan was happy doing this manual labour, he really just wanted to work and he was never interested in being in the spotlight, though there was one time when all eyes were on him.

Skip recalled asking Bryan if he wanted to be the MC at a youth talent show and of course he said he'd give it a try.

"He was MC at age nine," said Skip.

Central to the Maher family's community activity was always scouting and as Bryan rose through the ranks from Cubs to Ventures, he also became a mentor to the younger kids.

Stacey pointed out her brother was a superb role model, kind and generous with his time.

Katie met Bryan at the medical clinic where she worked as a physiotherapist but it would be years later that they ran into each other again. She said they were friends instantly.

Katie was enduring a particularly difficult day and it was Bryan, seeing her distressed, insisted he take her out for dinner. It was on that first date that Katie realized, this guy was no wallflower.

"He knew all about the restaurants," she said. "And he knew everyone."

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Stacey added "Everyone loved Bryan."

There was more than one person who considered him a best friend. That's just the way Bryan made everyone feel, like they were the most important person in his life.

If anyone needed help, Bryan was the first to offer, a trait that endeared him to people.

Bryan, always looking for new challenges, remained active as the brewer at Block Three but he had pulled back from the day-to-day operations, not being fond of having to be a boss. His next achievement was in 2015 when he joined the St. Jacobs volunteer firefighters where, of course, he left an indelible mark, starting with increasing the department's public profile through fund and awareness raising events.

"He transformed their social committee," said Stacey.

His family said Bryan was so good at organizing events he could have become a party planner.

While Bryan loved being part of the fire department, he wasn't interested in a professional career. After leaving the day-to-day operations of the brewery, he landed a job as a mechanic with C-Max Fire Solutions, repairing and servicing fire and emergency vehicles.

The brewery, fire hall and C-Max were all within a 10-minute walk of each other and being able to move between the three kept Bryan's busy mind fully engaged.

His mom, Grace Maher, said since Bryan was a schoolboy he wanted to learn something new every day.

"He jam packed so much into his short life," she said. "He just liked to learn."

Stacey added her brother's death was "a loss not just for us but for the community."

Skip pointed out, thousands of dollars have been donated to Friends of Killarney Park in his son's name a testament to the impact Bryan had on so many people.

"I know a lot of young men and not many can compare to him," said Skip.