Former Gayborhood bartender Angelo Becker died earlier this month after a battle with skin cancer.
Becker, 46, was a native Philadelphian and grew up in the Kensington section.
He was a popular figure in the Gayborhood, having bartended at Uncles and 12th Air Command. Most recently, he was working as a server at Main Line restaurant Chops.
Becker studied information technology and worked in that field at Cigna before being laid off and entering bartending fulltime.
Friend and former roommate Jim McLaughlin said Becker’s personality was well-suited for that industry.
“He was very charismatic,” McLaughlin said. “He drew people to him because he was so outgoing and friendly.”
Friend Tom Quicksell echoed McLaughlin’s sentiments, noting that Becker’s sociability knew few barriers.
“We traveled to Europe together and, no matter where in the world he was dropped, he would find someone he already knew and also walk up to anyone and be able to start a conversation,” Quicksell said. “Most people are reserved or shy around new people but he never was, and I admired him for that. He’d always be the one in the middle of a crowd telling stories and entertaining people.”
Becker used his outgoing nature to forge many new friendships through the City of Brotherly Love Softball League, where he played for teams organized by 12th Air and Key West.
He was also an avid tennis player and video gamer and bowled for Philadelphia Gay Bowling League.
“He was a very competitive person by nature,” Quicksell said. “Our whole group of friends was always competitive with each other, just friendly competition amongst ourselves. He was a mean card player; we would spend many long weekends playing cards all weekend long.”
Becker is survived by a wide group of friends, who McLaughlin said meant everything to him.
“He would do anything for his friends as long as it was within his power to do it,” he said. “He would just bend over backwards to make his friends happy.”
Friends are planning a memorial for Becker in April.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].