Chances are good that, whatever event you attend in Philadelphia, you’ll run into a storm — in the form of Stormy Lundy. As a fellow committee person for OurNightOut, I can personally vouch for her ability to throw a good party in the hippest places. ONO is a monthly event that hosts LGBT social gatherings at different and interesting venues both in and out of the Gayborhood. We spoke to the bon vivant about food, travel and giving back.
PGN: Where are you originally from? SL: I was born in Harlem, N.Y. I was brought up in a very male-centric household: Except for my mother, it was all guys — my father, five brothers, even a male dog.
PGN: Where did you fall in the order of things? SL: I was right in the middle.
PGN: And what did you want to be when you grew up? SL: I wanted to be a dancer.
PGN: What did the folks do? SL: My mother was a girl Friday for a publicist at Harper’s and later for one of the writers at The New York Times. That was part-time, but most of the time when we were growing up she was at home.
PGN: Did you get a lot of books when she worked at Harper’s? SL: Yes, and I remember we always had a ton of encyclopedias — an inordinate number of encyclopedias.
PGN: Were you a big reader? SL: Oh yes, I always loved books. I love to read. I ended up in an accelerated reading class in school.
PGN: What was a favorite book? SL: I loved “Gulliver’s Travels.”
PGN: And dad? SL: My father was one of the bar managers for the Cotton Club and the Lenox Lounge in Harlem. His name was Roy Campbell. He was a little man, maybe 5-foot-5, and at one point he was a lightweight boxer as well.
PGN: Wow! He must have been around some interesting people. SL: Yes, between him and my great-aunt Mabel, who was a bit of a socialite, they knew a lot of celebrities. For example, my father used to play basketball with Adam Clayton Powell. My memories of that were slim because we of course weren’t allowed into the club, though I remember one time when I was around 4 when my mother had to go somewhere, so she dropped me off at the club when my father was getting off work. The club wasn’t open yet and I recall my mother placing me on top of the bar and receiving all sorts of candy and money and gifts as I waited for my father to take me home.
PGN: Did you do a lot of family outings? SL: Oh yes, a ton of them. Though she was originally from Myrtle Beach, S.C., my mother had extended family in New York. We’d visit friends’ homes, family members and my father’s business associates. We’d go to the beaches in Northern New Jersey and I remember a lot of outings to a place in New Rochelle called Glen Island resort and casino — it’s where Glen Miller got his big break. I recently spoke to a customer who said that it recently reopened.
PGN: And who was the whimsical person responsible for naming you Stormy Lundy? SL: My father. I was born during a snowstorm and it was his turn to name a kid and that’s what he came up with. My mother wasn’t very happy about it.
PGN: And you? SL: No. All through grade school I used my middle name, Adelle, because kids just did not understand why someone would be named Stormy. But I’ve grown to love it now.
PGN: What was your favorite class in school? SL: Probably English, as well as music. I played the clarinet for six years in the school concert band.
PGN: Other than band, what things were you involved with in school? SL: Actually I went to FIT high school: Fashion Institute of Technology. It was more about the industry than typical school clubs. [Laughs.] About 90 percent of the students and faculty were gay males — Calvin Klein was there, Willy Smith, a lot of gay guys.
PGN: What made you go into fashion? SL: My oldest brother was dating a woman who I just idolized. She was the sharpest woman I ever met: She always looked fabulous. She made her own clothes and she was what I wanted to be — always fashion forward, always looking sharp. But I didn’t want to study sewing or design so I studied fashion merchandising and visual display. I went to college at FIT as well.
PGN: How did you end up in Philadelphia? SL: I married a man from Philadelphia. We lived in Gramercy Park in New York, but when I had children, we realized that it was extremely expensive to send kids to school in that area. So right before the first child was born, we moved to Philadelphia.
PGN: Tell me about your kids. SL: OK, my oldest daughter has five children. She lives in Rhode Island and does computer science when she’s not being a full-time mom. She also owns a woman’s clothing boutique.
PGN: So she followed your path into the fashion industry? SL: Yes, Tiffany is a lot like me … except that I never wanted five kids! My other daughter, Candice, is an artist and works for a design company. They are complete opposites: Candice is single, doesn’t want kids and stands 5-foot-5 with blond hair. Tiffany is 5-foot-11 with dark hair and lots of kids.
PGN: When did you get involved with the LGBT community? SL: I’d say I’ve been involved for the last 30 years. I got heavily involved with [Human Rights Campaign] years ago and, I’m not sure, but I think I’m the only woman on the East Coast to co-chair the HRC dinner three times. From there, more involvement with [Delaware Valley Legacy Fund], then some involvement with The Trevor Project through Mark Mitchell and a lot of other projects that various friends have gotten me involved with.
PGN: And you are a part of the [DVLF] Toy Drive each year — does that make you a secret Santa? SL: I guess! I was stunned to find that the pediatric AIDS unit of Children’s Hospital [of Philadelphia] didn’t receive all the attention that it deserved and thought that Toy was a great way to be involved with the community and work with children and AIDS causes at the same time. It felt like I was able to cast a wide net getting involved with it. I always thought DVLF was a really, really solid organization. I liked what they stood for and the idea of leaving some sort of legacy in the community for causes you believe in.
PGN: And what’s your day job? SL: I’m the director of special events for the Reading Terminal [Market]. So when the market closes in the evening to the general public, we host a number of events with anywhere from 50-2,500 people.
PGN: Oh my goodness, I had no idea it held that many people! SL: Oh yes. We’ve had some great parties there.
PGN: What’s a favorite? SL: I did an event for one of the pharmaceutical companies. It was a huge event and great party and at the end, they had buses that took us over to The Mann Music Center for a private concert with Al Jarreau. We also did a party for the Cooking Channel, which was really neat. We got to meet a lot of personalities from the various shows and they brought in local people who were Cooking Channel fans. They transformed the market into a big picnic. They took out all the existing tables and chairs in one area and put in picnic benches and strung up lights … It felt like you were in someone’s backyard.
PGN: I just had my cousin in town and we watched “National Treasure.” Were you with the Market when they did the filming there? SL: Oh yes, I’ve been there for about 25 years. I didn’t go to the shooting — I probably was at home. They’ve shot a lot of things at the terminal, mostly scenes from the series “Cold Case.” We also have the Cooking Channel, the Food Network and the Travel Channel shooting in there often.
PGN: What are other organizations you’re involved with? SL: The Human Rights Campaign, Delaware Valley Legacy Fund, Our Night Out. I’m also a member of the Women’s Culinary Guild and Les Dames d’Escoffier — a worldwide philanthropic society of professional women leaders in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality.
PGN: Are you a good cook? And if so, what’s your signature dish? SL: Oh, I’m an excellent cook. I don’t think I have a signature dish. I make a great Greek moussaka.
PGN: What’s the most exotic dish you make? SL: A shrimp mousse, grilled and served on sugar cane.
PGN: That sounds great. Backing up a little bit, tell me about coming out. SL: Oh boy, Suzi, you would need a continuing series for that full story! I realized at a young age that that was my preference, but didn’t know what to do about it so I got married and had children and, about six years into it, I knew it just wasn’t working. It wasn’t what I wanted or what made me happy.
PGN: How did the family deal with it? SL: My mother and father were both very, very supportive. They let me know they loved me no matter what and later they accepted my partners with open arms. Or I should say partner because I’d been with someone 16 years and I lost both of them before it was over, so they only knew the one person.
PGN: What qualities do you look for in a partner? SL: Honesty, independence, someone who has a good relationship with their family and who has a good relationship with themselves. Someone who knows who they are and is comfortable in their own skin.
PGN: Now for some random questions. What’s a profession you’ve never pursued that you think you’d be good at? SL: Writer. I’d probably write novels.
PGN: What’s the best $100 you ever spent? SL: That’s really hard — probably on a pair of Cole Haan sandals that I really love. [Laughs.] I’ve worn them now for four seasons! PGN: Something that you aren’t? SL: Shy.
PGN: A modern-day convenience you wish didn’t exist? SL: I hate the fact that we’re all so busy because people can reach us at any time, so I’d say texting.
PGN: What are your hobbies? SL: Cooking, gardening and I love to travel. I have no problem traveling alone, getting off in another city or country by myself and just exploring.
PGN: What was a favorite travel experience? SL: By far going to Croatia. It’s not what you see on the news. It’s a cross between Paris and Italy: It’s as beautiful as both and the people are wonderful. Dubrovnik is gorgeous — the city, the streets are beautiful. Because of the war, I think people have this impression of Croatia as a bombed-out city but they only bombed them from the top, so though there was roof damage, most of the buildings are still intact and it’s just a stunning country. We went to Croatia and went into Bosnia and it was probably my favorite trip so far.
PGN: I’m always amazed at how little Americans travel and how insular we are. What’s important about traveling? SL: I think it’s important because we are so insular. We need to experience the way others live — their cultures, their food and traditions. We’re supposedly the most powerful nation in the world but we need to realize that there are other places, other countries that feel that their countries are just as strong and special as we do. They’re just as proud of where they’re from and who they are in the world.
PGN: And how do you use that knowledge in your life and business? SL: I use it in the lifestyle that I lead. The way I cook, the way my home is decorated and the way I celebrate life. I’m a member of the slow food movement, which is an international movement that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. I love the tradition of sitting down with friends and family and sharing a meal and savoring life and a good dish. I just eat it up.
To suggest a community member for “Family Portrait,” write to [email protected].