Steve McGrade was unmasked April 12 as King Neches LXXV at the Event Centre in downtown Beaumont. Though not a lifelong resident of Beaumont, McGrade and his family-owned and operated business, Able Fastener Inc., has been serving the area for 28 years.
King McGrade was born in nearby Pasadena in 1957 and went on to graduate from Southwestern University in Georgetown with a BBA majoring in Marketing/Management with a minor in Economics.
It was there where he would meet the love of his life, Nancy McAtee, whom he would wed after seven years of courtship. The couple have two children, Harris Covington McGrade and Nell Alexandra McGrade, and one granddaughter, Novie Belle Killingsworth McGrade.
Just some of King McGrade’s involvement in the community includes Habitat for Humanity, City of Beaumont Parks Advisory Committee, Ubi Caritas, All Saints Episcopal School board member and president and currently serves as the school’s vice president, Three Rivers Council Boy Scouts of America, recipient of the Silver Beaver Award, which is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America, Vestry of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, delegate to the 174th Annual Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and is a longtime supporter of the Neches River Festival where he served as president in 2015 and chaired the Distinguished Citizen Dinner for many years.
Upcoming Neches River Festival events include the NRF Street Party and Parade on Crockett Street on Friday, April 21, at 5 p.m.; and Coronation and Ball (Julie Rogers Theatre and Beaumont Civic Center) on Saturday, April 22, at 6 p.m.