Anyone, and I mean everyone, who has ever walked into Hops Sports Grill has met Brian Luceri. You might have seen him making his way through the dining room, bar, or patio of Hops (a bar and grill meets Italian grandma’s kitchen on Tucson’s east side) in an almost statesmanlike fashion; shaking hands, making small talk, addressing the issues of the day. There was no mistake about it, Brian was in his element on that floor.

Brian was from Methuen, Massachusetts, just a short ride north of Boston. He was a huge Sox and Patriots fan (nobody is perfect), which you’d find out within seconds of meeting him. He had that charming “lawbstah” and “buttah” Italian/Boston accent. If he said he lost his khakis, he wasn’t looking for his pants — he was looking for a Cadillac fob.