Brian Douglas Zuk

Bryan Douglas Zuk

August 20, 1949 – August 20, 2026

Bryan was an East Vancouver boy, born and raised in the hood, where he made lifelong friends, found his people, and became a man who would leave his mark on far more lives than he ever knew.

Known to many as Ace, Bryan was a man of incredible creativity, vision, grit, and heart. He spent his early career as a prominent tattoo artist in East Vancouver, turning his talent and imagination into art that became a permanent part of the lives of the people who trusted him with their skin and their stories. Years later he moved his life and shop around B.C. making more friends as he went.

But Bryan was never someone who could be defined by just one thing.

His love of art followed him into his passion for hot rods and motorcycles. With his hands, his imagination, and an unmistakable mechanical brilliance, he could take metal, grease, and old machinery and turn them into rolling works of art. For Bryan, building wasn’t simply about the finished machine—it was about the process, the details, the people, and the stories that came along with it.

And then there was the man behind all of it.

Bryan was a trusted friend, a mentor, a storyteller, a teacher, and a man with a massive heart. He shared his knowledge freely—of tattooing, cars, motorcycles, and, perhaps most importantly, life. He spoke openly about his own battles and experiences, using what he had learned along the way to help others navigate their own.

For the many people who spent time around his shop, Ace Tattoo, Bryan was more than the guy behind the tattoos. He was someone you could sit with, learn from, laugh with, argue with, and count on. His door was a place where people came together, and his influence reached far beyond the walls of the shop.

Above everything else, Bryan found the absolute love of his life in Sonia.

Together they shared a beautiful life built on music, deep devotion, friendship, and a partnership like no other. She was his person, and the love they shared was at the heart of his life.

Bryan leaves behind Sonia, his family, his brothers in the Torchmen Club, and a vast community of friends, brothers, and people whose lives he touched along the way.

His art remains. His creations remain. His stories remain. And most importantly, the people he taught, loved, encouraged, and influenced will carry a piece of him forward.

Bryan lived his life his own way, made his own mark, and left this world with a legacy that cannot be measured simply in years.

A Legend Never Dies

There will be a Private Celebration of Life held at a later date