A familiar face and friendly smile is gone from downtown St. Cloud.

Brian Lee, owner of the White Horse bar and restaurant, died at age 63 Saturday. He was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, said Dave DeLand, a close friend of the family.

Lee leaves behind his wife, Jackie, and two children.

News of his passing spread on social media, with dozens and dozens posting their sadness and support for his family.

Everyone seems to have a story about Lee, whether he served them their first legal drink or was a friend from across the bar.

Lee spent years in the pontoon boat business before deciding to enter the restaurant business.

He opened the White Horse in 2008 with two friends. The place quickly became one that "drinks like a bar, eats like a restaurant," as the bar's slogan says.

The place has many attributes worth talking about, but Lee was the fixture.

Lee was featured in a Times series in 2016 about people with faces well-known in St. Cloud. At that time, he told the Times he saw regulars every night, which was a highlight of the gig.

"There are certain customers that come in on certain days and I look forward to seeing them," Lee said.

With those customers, Lee was always sure to know what they prefer to drink, and on slower nights he had it ready right away.

People recognized him around town, too.

Customers he ran into made a point of acknowledging they enjoy the establishment.

"I do know if I go out in public, I swear I know everyone," Lee said.

He said the staff is a large part of the bar's success, but the recognition and praise always felt good.

"The loyalty of the customers I have now is really rewarding because it means something is going right here," Lee told the Times.

The White Horse is known for its food, with many seafood and vegetarian options and Asian dishes that did not dull their spiciness for Minnesota palates. The southeast Asian dishes were evidence of Lee's favorite place to visit.

He had a passion for traveling, internationally and domestically. He liked the solitude traveling could offer.

Last summer, he and his wife traveled the back roads of Montana, never entering a town bigger than 15,000 people. He also liked to spend time in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The bar is also a destination for Surly beer lovers. It was the first place outside the Twin Cities to serve it.

When the business opened, Lee hadn't planned to be behind the bar. But he loved the excitement of something new every day.

"I started bartending out of necessity," Lee said. "Money was tight enough that I had to do as many functions as I could here."

Under Lee's custody, the bar also became gathering space for artists to mingle and sketch together and was a hangout before and after Paramount Theatre shows.

Many nights in downtown St. Cloud included dinner at the White Horse, a show at the Paramount, and perhaps drinks after, again, at the White Horse.

The place also became known for showing and selling local art and supporting local music. It has been consistently nominated in various categories of the Times' annual Best of Central Minnesota contest.

Follow Stephanie Dickrell on Twitter @SctimesSteph, like her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sctimessteph, call her at 255-8749 or find more stories at www.sctimes.com/sdickrell.

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Familiar faces: White Horse patrons recognize Brian Lee