A young and accomplished New York-born chef died four hours into a marathon raising money for St. Jude in Nashville after he was found unresponsive in a park, according to his grieving family.
Joey Fecci, 26, a New York native, was a participant in Saturday’s charity St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll run when first responders were called in to Shelby Park to provide CPR and emergency medical assistance to the downed runner, who was transported to a nearby hospital where he died, The Tennessean reports.
“It is with unbearable grief and immense sorrow that we share our dear and beloved Joey transitioned to the other side on Saturday, April 27th,” his family said in a statement. “He was a bright light of inspiration and positivity to everyone that was blessed to cross paths with him.
“He was a treasured son, brother, boyfriend, and friend to so many,” the family added. “He leaves behind a broken family that loves him so very much.”
Fecci’s cause of death remains unknown, but his family has promised to put out a more detailed statement in the future.
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, which operates the marathon, said medical staff tried their best to assist Fecci when he was found unresponsive, but it was too late.
“We share our greatest sympathies with the family and friends of the race participant, and we will continue to offer them our support as they go through this very difficult time,” the organization said in a statement.
Fecci, from Somers, New York, started his restaurant career as a 15-year-old bus boy at the Lucia Restaurant in his hometown, according to Nashville’s Yolan Italian restaurant, his latest employer.
Fecci would go on to become a pizza chef and then manager at Lucia before enrolling at The Culinary Institute of America on Long Island, which saw him intern at Charlie Palmer’s Michelin-starred Aureole restaurant in Manhattan.
The talented chef was hired at the Per Se restaurant on Columbus Avenue before jumping to Chicago to work at the famed Michelin-starred Spiaggia Italian restaurant before its closure in 2021.
Top Chef star Joe Flamm, who worked at Spiaggia, said he was thrilled to hire a then-19-year-old Fecci after recognizing his talent and passion for cooking.
“I’m grateful he spent two years sharing a kitchen with me,” Flamm wrote in a passionate Instagram post.
“I keep telling myself not to just keep asking why, but it’s hard, because I’m f–king angry and I’m heartbroken,” Flamm added, noting that he had spoken to Fecci just two weeks before his death.
“Joey Fecci, my guy, we will miss you forever.”
While at Spiaggia, Fecci also met his future cooking partner Tony Mantuano, who he would again stumble across in Nashville while walking past The Joseph hotel where the fledgling Yolan restaurant was being established.
Mantuano touted his cooking partner during a 2022 promotion as a chef beaming with skill and commitment.
“Joey is a storyteller in the kitchen,” Mantuano said in a statement. “This promotion is a testament to Joey’s talent and dedication, and we know he will continue raising the bar to deliver a dining experience that blends exquisite cuisine with extraordinary service and hospitality.”
Yolan said Fecci had been with them for three and half years before announcing his resignation in February.
“I have learned so much during my time here, not just as a chef but as a person,” Fecci wrote on Instagram about his departure. “Yet, the thing that I learned the most is that it’s not the food or the service that makes restaurants so special.
“It’s the people that dedicate themselves to the craft of hospitality and food, and the guests that come and support those dedicated people,” he added. “The restaurant is just a by-product of passion and culture.”
Loved ones have created a GoFundMe page to raise $25,000 to establish the Chef Joey Fecci Culinary Scholarship Memorial Fund to “support aspiring chefs who wish to follow in Joey’s footsteps and carry on his legacy of culinary excellence.”
