ST. LOUIS – Longtime bar owner, community leader and all around character, Tim “Grandma” Craddock died in the early morning hours of Jan. 31, 2012 in St. Louis following a battle with cancer. He was 63.
A celebration toast was held at Rehab Bar & Grill in honor of The Grove icon on Jan. 31.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 15th at 10:30 a.m. at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church (7230 Dale Ave.), Richmond Heights, MO 63117. (The church is at the corner of Bellevue and Dale.)
Born on Feb. 27, 1948, Grandma was omnimpresent on the St. Louis LGBT bar scene since the late 1960s. He tended bar at Bob Martin’s, The Bijou and The Brass Keys in Centreville, Ill. He was part owner of The Silly Goose and The 601 Club and owned and operated Rainbow's End and later, Grandma’s Rainbow's End.
The gravel-voiced red head is best known for his two Grove neighborhood establishments. He operated the kitschy-but-cozy Rainbow’s End (where Rehab presently sits) from the early 1990s until 2004. Most recently he tried to make a go of Grandma’s.
“He always volunteered to help out any charity organization,” said longtime friend Randy Davenport. “Whether it was the Show Me Bears or EFA—he would open up his place and have free food. He was always known for his generosity. If someone needed something, all they had to do was ask and he would give it to them.”
Former Rainbow’s End employee Dennis Rutter points out that the community has lost one of its true personalities:
“I do remember one of Grandmas' favorite lines when he saw a cute or sexy young man: Give me a little and you won't have so much! Then he would proceed to make them hug and kiss him. Straight or gay, it did not matter. His other favorite quote was, Even a fish won't get caught if he keeps his mouth shut.
BY: COLIN MURPHY - SENIOR WRITER
