Frankie Morelli, a longtime fixture in the local LGBT nightclub scene, died Nov. 2 of complications of lung cancer. He was 51.
Morelli, a native of Coatesville who most recently lived in Havertown, worked at Voyeur Nightclub and its previous incarnations for more than 25 years.
He started as a barback when the venue was the DCA and later the 2-4 Club, then served as a DJ for more than a decade and began as a bartender in 1999, staying with the club as it transitioned from Pure to Voyeur.
“He liked the people; he was a people person,” said Peter Jemo, Morelli’s partner of 25 years. “He had a kind heart.”
Rick McIntyre, Morelli’s best friend, echoed that statement, noting his outgoing nature made him a well-loved staple at the club.
“He was my best friend but he was a best friend to everybody he met,” McIntyre said. “He touched everybody’s lives the same and treated everyone the same. He had the biggest heart and was just the kindest, funniest man you would ever meet.”
Ian Morrison, who portrays drag performer Brittany Lynn, said Morelli trained him his first night working at Voyeur.
“[He] is the reason I say ‘good morning’ to everyone, no matter what time of the day it is,” Morrison said, noting Morelli was always upbeat at work, no matter the circumstances. “He kept a smile on my face while we bartended together under the best and worst situations, and taught me what it really meant to be gay in the most joyous sense of the word. He was a beautiful soul and the epitome of the term ‘Gayborhood royalty.’”
His passion for music was evident both at and outside of work, McIntyre said.
“He loved all music,” he said. “New wave, house music, he just loved it all. He still spun records at home. He’d be on the phone with me and put something on and say, ‘Oh, have you heard this?’ Music was his passion.”
Debbie Spadafora, manager of 12Fit Spa and Gym, DJed with Morelli when the venue was 2-4 Club.
“He made wherever he was seem like the best place to be,” she said. “His enthusiasm was so infectious that he could make you laugh at anything.”
Morrison said it was Morelli’s humor that motivated him to develop his own performance material.
“He made me want to be a funnier person and kept me on my toes at all times — if I could make him laugh, I knew my material was funny,” he said.
Morelli approached any of his responsibilities — from bar backing to bartending to DJing — with the same energy and passion, Spadafora said.
“In the late ’80s, at what had just changed from the DCA to the 2-4 Club, you could see this little bundle of energy weaving and bobbing his way through a crowded club with a case of beer over his head to restock one of the bars,” she said. “He made it look like bar back was the most fun job ever. He danced the whole night while he worked. Whatever he did, he gave himself to it.”
Both at work and outside, Spadafora noted, Morelli was a true friend.
“He epitomized sincerity and genuine friendship,” she said. “The community, his friends and family and those who haven’t even had the chance to know the man have lost a remarkable man.”
McIntyre said the flood of messages that have come pouring in for Morelli on social media are a testament to how many lives he touched.
“The amount of people who have posted on Facebook alone says something about the type of person he was. Some of these are people who only met him once,” he said. “It was such a pleasure for anyone to have had that chance to meet him. He was just actually a perfect individual — moral, ethical and truly loved everyone.”
Besides Jemo, Morelli is survived by stepmother Karen; sisters Anna Maria, Cheri and Valerie; stepsister Sue and stepbrother Robert; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his father, Frank, and mother, Ella Mae. He is also survived by several beloved pets: dogs Rosie and Bear and cats Zeke, Pico and Amelia.
A celebration of life will be held 5-8 p.m. Nov. 6 at Rothermel/Videon/Givnish of Havertown, 57 S. Eagle Road. A funeral will follow at 8 p.m., with a private interment.
McIntyre said Morelli emphasized before his passing that he wanted the celebration to be joyous.
“He was always laughing and joking and was adamant that that’s what he wanted this to be about; he wanted people to remember him but not be sad. He wanted people to be comfortable, wear T-shirts and jeans, and celebrate. He didn’t want anyone to be sad he was gone. He’s still here.”
Memorial contributions can be made to the Frank V. Morelli, Jr., Memorial Fund, c/o PNC Bank, 5050 State Road, Drexel Hill, Pa. 19026.