Obituary for Joe Lotozo Joe Lotozo, of Cape May, N.J., died September 13 of heart disease. He was 64. Born and raised in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia, he attended Frankford High School.
He moved to Cape May, N.J., in 1974, and began what would be a long career in the restaurant business, starting out as a dishwasher and prep cook at Gloria’s. From 1978 to 1984 he was a chef at the Mad Batter, which was one of the first restaurants to break from the traditional mold and introduce creative cuisine to Cape May. In 1985, he took over as head chef at the Bayberry Inn, which he ran with his wife Susan.
The restaurant became well-known for innovative cuisine that was influenced by his travels in Mexico, the Caribbean, Thailand, and Hong Kong. With the opening of the Virginia Hotel in 1988, he became executive chef for the hotel’s Ebbitt Room. His menu there melded his signature international flair with classic American dishes and ingredients.
From 2000-2005 he was executive chef at the Mansion House restaurant, which specialized in seafood and won rave reviews for its creative menu. An old friend who worked with him there called him “one of the finest chefs the little island has seen in its rich culinary history” and said, hearing about Joe’s death: “The food in heaven just ramped up”. His greatest accomplishment in life, though, was being the father of his two beautiful daughters, Eliza and Bela, who he loved very much.
Joe was a talented guitarist, a music lover who had an encyclopedic knowledge of rock and roll, and an avid doer of crossword puzzles. He was deeply loyal to his friends and enjoyed Cape May’s beaches more than anyone. Joe’s death was hastened by his intractable addiction to alcohol, which took over his life in his final years.
He is survived by his wife Susan, from whom he was separated; his two daughters; his mother Irene; his sister Eils; his mother-in-law Pat; and three nieces. Family and friends are invited to join a memorial gathering in the ballroom at Congress Hall in Cape May, on Wednesday, September 19th from 3 pm – 6 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Cape Counseling Services, an agency in Cape May Court House, N.J., that provides recovery services for those suffering from substance abuse and the disease of addiction.
For convenience and acknowledgment purposes these donations can be made through “In Memory Of” online at www. inmemoryof-memorial.org/joe-lotozo or if you prefer regular mail, checks can be made and mailed to: In Memory Of, PO Box 5472, Charlottesville, VA 22905 (Re: Joe Lotozo).
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