"We got to know Al through Liz, our favorite dental hygienist. We shared stories and meals with Al and her. Al was a wonderful guy and we all shared a love of music. The first time Debbie and I got to see U2 was with them in Toronto. What a night ! We walked all the way back to our hotel and stayed up having drinks and talking at the bar. We certainly will miss Al and will always cherish our friendship. We were so lucky to have Liz cleaning our teeth for so many years when we lived in Rochester. "
In loving memory of
Alan Morinelli
December 20, 1954 - July 16, 2022
GATES - Alan Morinelli Passed away peacefully on July 16. 2022 at age 67. Predeceased by his Mother Laura Morinelli: Father Elmer Morinelli; Aunt Rita & Uncle Bill Kauffman; and many other aunts and uncles.
Alan is survived by his loving and devoted wife Elizabeth "Liz" Morinelli; best friends Jim Welcher & Terry Lucas; brother-in-law Douglas Edelson; many cousins from both sides, as well as many friends.
Al's love of dogs brought four Siberian huskies into his life. Cheemo, Wolfgang, Hurley, & Opal. The traits that this breed embodies are the same he admired in people and practiced in his own life. Loyalty, independent thinking, fun, funny, ball breakers, intelligence, and perseverance.
Al enjoyed all kinds of sports including baseball, bowling, football, hockey, and going to Syracuse basketball games. He was a Green Bay Packer fan and made it to Lambeau Field in 2004. In the last decade, he enjoyed watching Manchester United soccer. Golf was his passion; he loved playing golf, talking about golf, and visiting every pro shop and golf course everywhere he traveled. Before he retired he learned how to build clubs, change grips, evaluate swings, and took classes on how to be better at these skills, as well as teaching his coworkers at Dick's Sporting Goods. His bucket list was Saint Andrews in Scotland and he made that happen in 2019, not just for himself but a trip to be shared.
Food was another one of his passions whether it was eating, cooking, frequenting restaurants locally and away as well as visiting wineries. He never stopped wanting to learn new recipes but always found comfort in his Italian heritage meals. He enjoyed hearing what other people liked to eat and which restaurants they went to. It was a tradition that if you were invited for dinner he would be asking you what your electric chair meal would be.
Tradition and ritual were so meaningful for Al and although he loved the ones meant for him and "his bride" as he like to call Liz, he was more than willing to open it up for friends and before you knew it, he created a whole new tradition. New Year's Eve tradition was one of our favorites. If he had a bucket list dream, it didn't stay just his; he always wanted to share that passion and enthusiasm. Even if you didn't come along you shared it through his eyes and his joy of having it be a successful adventure.
If you are attending the service and even if you are not, you will be invited to share in the guestbook how you met Al, perhaps some of the adventures you shared together, what your electric chair meal would be, and any AL-ISMS that made you laugh or smile. Additionally, these memories and reflections may be shared under the Tributes tab found at the top of this page.
No prior visitation. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Sunday, July 24 at 1 PM from the funeral home, 1411 Vintage Lane, Rochester NY 14626. Interment will be held privately. Flowers are graciously declined. Please direct memorials to Hildebrandt Hospice, 2652 Ridgeway Avenue, Rochester 14626 or the Central Library Of Rochester & Monroe County, 115 South Avenue, Rochester 14604, (please make payable to Friends & Foundation of RPL.Sully Branch, Rochester 14604 in Alan's memory) or Cypress Lucky Mutt Rescue, 9597 Jones Road #360, Houston, TX 77065.
Remebering Al Morinelli
Alan Morinelli joined our world on December 20, 1954 at 12:30AM. He was welcomed at St. Mary's Hospital by parents Laura and Elmer Morinelli. Laura worked at WT Grant's and Neisner's, while Elmer worked as an electrician at Empire Electric and part time at a family bakery. Alan was an only child and strove to be a great son to his mother and father. Although Al never had any siblings, he had a great affinity for dogs - Siberian Huskies, specifically. His first was Cheemo, who was almost more of a little brother than a pet. Although his father Elmer used to say, "No dogs in the house," the tables turned when Al bought the family home from his parents. Then, with all three of them living there, Al happily brought Cheemo inside. After all, it was his house now!
Al attended grade school at Warren Harding and attended high school at Gates Chili, where he graduated in 1973. While in grade school (age 7), Al joined the Warren Harding Chorus and met lifelong friend, Terry Lucas. In high school, they both played football and met another lifelong friend, Joe Megna. Al even earned a scholarship for baseball, but he sustained a shoulder injury and had to come back home.
After returning home, Al began working at Boccacino Heating and Cooling. He then worked at Kodak as a sheet metal fabricator, or, as they called it, a "Tin Knocker." He continued working in metal fabrication at Optimation Industrial, too. Finally, Al worked at Dicks Sporting Goods in Webster, enjoying his new career as their in-house golf pro. Al loved sports. Whether it was Manchester United Soccer or the Green Bay Packers, he would be enthralled in the game. And, as a member of the Deerfield Country Club, Al got to enjoy both playing and watching another sport he loved. If he wasn't watching a game or out on the course, Al could be found cooking, making wine, crafting golf clubs, at a concert, or ready to travel.
Al and Liz met one day when he came in for a cleaning appointment at the dental practice of Dr. Roderiques. Liz worked there as a hygienist, and he always ended up as her patient. They got married on August 16, 1998 at the Daisy Flour Mill on a sunny, beautiful day. After the ceremony concluded, the happy couple walked back up the aisle together to Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On." Together, they had a wonderful life. They filled their days with travel and adventure, seeing Canada, Italy, California, Florida, Washington DC, Seattle, the Caribbean, Arizona, New Mexico, Switzerland, Costa Rica, Scotland (visiting the famed St. Andrew's golf course), New York City, Vermont, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Las Vegas, and Wisconsin. Throughout their marriage, Al and Liz developed special rituals and traditions. Every Friday night was date night, and every New Year's Eve was a Twilight Zone marathon. Liz was the person who had the greatest impact on Al's life. Their relationship was one that celebrated love at the right time in life and opened the possibility of traveling and exploring the world in a whole new way. Though their family experiences growing up had been vastly different, Liz and Al took great joy in sharing family time and being exposed to new traditions and family favorite books, plays, music, foods, places, and "smart-ass comments." Al and Liz also shared a longstanding love for Siberian Huskies, so they adopted one together. It was their beloved "son" Wolfgang. Then came "grandson" and best boy, Hurley. Finally came Opal; the first "daughter" and accidental later in life baby. She and Al didn't get much time on earth together, but she had him in love from the very start (even getting the honor of first dog allowed to sleep up on the bed).
Al's friends were very dear to him, too. Along with Terry Lucas and Joe Megna, Jim Welcher, who met Al during a softball league in 1979, was another close friend. Together, they made wonderful memories of time spent on the field, enjoyed their favorite music, and got to sample Al's cooking. Al's taste in music is another aspect of his personality that will be long remembered. He was a fan and avid concertgoer of the Allman Brothers, U2, Muse, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Pink Floyd. In his free time, he enjoyed watching shows and movies like Lost, NYPD Blue, Seinfeld, Barney Miller, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Departed, Pulp Fiction, the Bourne Identity movies, and anything starring Leonardo DiCaprio or Salma Hayek. As a child, he and Terry watched Julia Child and Galloping Gourmet. Once the episode finished, the pair would run off to cook in Al's kitchen all while imitating that iconic Julia Child voice!
Al was a giver of his time and attention. He was loyal and thought mostly of others, not just himself. He taught by example and was extremely generous to Liz, his friends, and all those who came close to him. He prioritized treating people well "if they earned it" and strove to be a stand-up person who placed his wife above all else. Even though Al was challenged by physical health issues, he maintained his "Harrogant" (Handsome, Humble, Arrogant) attitude through these difficult times. The legacy Al leaves with us is one of love, respect, and humor; qualities of his that will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
Tributes
"I think of Al as our own personal ?Anthony Bourdain?. We were always running around to school and sporting events. When we were fortunate enough to go out to dinner for ?couples night? with Al and Liz, they always knew the latest restaurant to try, and what they liked best there. We relied heavily on Al?s choice of wine and the food he liked. Here and there, he entertained us with a few of his restaurant critiques? in an effort to improve their establishments, of course. We loved hearing about their latest travels and adventures, especially their love for Costa Rica. After their initial ?train hopping? incident, it was heartwarming how they worked out trips and concerts so they each did something they enjoyed. It was obvious how much they cared about each other. While Liz tolerated golf, Al loved golf. I wish I could have seen more pictures of Al?s golf outfits. I was pretty sure Al had more golf shoes than I had everyday shoes, and I was very jealous. Al enjoyed life and wanted to share that joy with others. When I think of Al, my first thought is Al?s smile. I will miss you Al, but I?ll always remember the example you set and the smile that you shared with others."
"I?ll remember Al as a wonderful husband, traveler, food critic, and a genuine great person. I enjoyed our friends group dinners where Al and Liz would share their experiences about their excursions to places like Costa Rica, Scotland and many others. As a golfer myself we always had a story to share about how our season was going. For our group dinners, I would always rely on Al to pick the restaurant, for a stretch he had become quite the food critic, I always knew wherever we were going for dinner, it would be a good choice. Also, Al was excellent when it came to pairing wines, I never had a Red that Al picked that I didn?t like. Recently our dinner group was fortunate enough to have one of those wonderful dinners before Al entered the hospital. We?ll miss you Al, but we?ll never forget you!"
"We met Al through Liz. She told us she met her guy while cleaning his teeth. We attended their wedding and shared many meals with them over the years. It was usually a new restaurant for us. Al and Liz had already been there and put their stamp of approval on the restaurant. They were never wrong. Fortunately, we were able to share one last meal together after a two year covid break the week before he went into the hospital. Al loved food, wine and cooking. One time when he made dinner for friends, he showed me the secrets of making a perfect risotto. He will be missed."
"I meet several years ago in a Wednesday night golf league. Al always had a smile, great attitude and a pleasure to talk too. His golf attire was in a league of his own. He will be greatly missed. My condolences to all of his family members."
" I first met Al back 42 years ago when I entered the Sheet Metal apprenticeship. He started 2 weeks before me. Back then he drove a Pontiac Grand prix to finally upgrading to Nissan Altima. We worked together on many jobs together during our careers. We developed a work related friendship. He convinced me to join him on a bowling league at Perry?s Bowling Center along with Billy Shaw, Jack Conlon and Steve Bizok. Al came up with our team name ? ?Wild Samoans.? We had a great time. The year we decided to leave that league we were in first place. Yes, we won the league! Oh, did I mention the team shirts? Hawaiian floral fern leafy design. Really ?Bright? colors. Yes he enjoyed his golf. On a whim He would ask me ... ?Hey Frank, want to take a half day and go hit 9 holes?? I said sure. I think he really wanted to help me perfect my game. Sometimes it worked, most of the time not. We were approached to play in the Optimation Golf outing one year and he was asked if he could get a team together. I was also asked if I golfed. I said yes. He spoke up and said ? ?Frank, You have clubs". He was able to get a couple of more guys and we agreed to play. I didn?t really score well. (He was right ... I have clubs.) We were supposed to get together earlier this year to have breakfast. We never made the arrangements. I now regret that I didn't follow thru. Until we meet again pal. "
"When I think of Al, his warm smile, his kind eyes, his love for dogs and golf come to mind immediately. But mostly, I think of his love for Liz. The way he looked at her whenever she was in a room- that kind of love that just shines through. Liz, We hope Al?s enduring love serves to hold you in times of pain and lift you up so you can rejoice. Sending much love and sympathy. Sharon and Bob Dirksen"
"We met Liz and Al over 20 years ago because of our dogs. We started as neighbors and became friends. Al always had a great story to share, and could find humor in just about anything. He could also come up with the best nicknames for his dogs. He will be missed. We send our love to Liz, and Al's family. "
"Alan was a wonderful person he will be missed greatly by everyone god bless his soul love your cousin s Catherine and John and family "
"From the moment that Al joined our family, it was as though he was always a part of it. He exuded joy and made everyone around him feel special. "
"The best next-door neighbors anyone could ask for, for 53 years -Al & Liz. I'm so glad we spent Easter together, talking about food and travel.....may your cherished memories remain forever in your heart."
"Al was a coworker to Joe and a friend yo us both. We loved his sense of humor and love of cooking. He will be greatly missed. A terrible loss for Liz and all who knew him."
"I enjoyed working with Al for years at Kodak and at Optimation. H was a very humorous man, and we shared a love for golf and U2. My condolences to his wife and family."