Chef Joey Fecci Has Died Aged 26

Joey Fecci, a chef trained in Chicago, has tragically passed away aged just 26.

Family and friends are mourning the loss of Joey Fecci.

The talented chef, who had previously worked at New York City’s Per Se’s most recent employer was Nashville’s Yolan, where he worked for three and a half years.

And now, it’s been confirmed that Fecci has, heartbreakingly, died.

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Per The Tennessean, Fecci’s family released a statement which reads: “It is with unbearable grief and immense sorrow that we share [that] our dear and beloved Joey transitioned to the other side on Saturday, April 27th.”

“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. He leaves behind a broken family that loves him so very much. A more detailed statement will follow.”

The statement was signed by Fecci’s family, Eric, Patti, Nick, Lucas, and Olivia, the latter being his girlfriend of more than three years.

Olivia also shared a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram, writing: “Oh Joey. I am so so sorry. I hope you’re at peace. We will never be able to fully understand.

“I will never fill this void in my soul. You are and were my protector. We understood every piece of each other and loved each other so deeply.

“I want to hug you again so bad. I want to make ‘Olivia breakfast’ for you again so bad. I want to laugh together again, and watch our favorite show in bed again. I want to sit around our dining table together with our best friends & family and just let time slip away.

“I will never heal. You would be so sad if I was sad for too long so I will try to find a path and be the best version of me like you were somehow every single f***ing day.

“Rest in peace, my love. The most handsome, the best laugh, the best energy. I love you forever and ever.”

Fecci was originally from Somers, New York, and, per The Tennessean, he started his culinary career when he was 15 years old working as a busboy, pizza chef and garde manager at his local Lucia Restaurant.

“At three years old he would pull a chair up to the stove so he could stand on it and flip the Saturday morning pancakes,” Fecci’s brother Nick tells Nashville’s NBC affiliate WSMV.

“That was something that I was always envious of him for — he had a burning passion for cooking from an early age, and he always knew he was going to follow that passion.”

He subsequently joined the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, advancing his career through renowned establishments like Aureole and the celebrated Per Se under the guidance of Thomas Keller.

“He quickly worked his way up to Chef di Cucina, and built a culture, atmosphere, and always rotating seasonal menus that earned Yolan the number one rated new restaurant by Food & Wine magazine,” Nick says.

Additionally, he had recently served at Yolan, an elegant Italian dining destination nestled within The Joseph Hotel in downtown Nashville.

There, he ascended from head sous chef to chef de cuisine in 2022 before his departure this past February.

In a post on Instagram announcing his exit from the institution (which was also his final social media posting) Fecci wrote: “I have been fortunate enough to spend the last 3.5 years being a part of something truly great.

“Working alongside @tonymantuano @ms.cathym19 and helping develop Yolan into the special restaurant it has become has been an incredible experience.”

“I have learned so much during my time here, not just as a chef but as a person,” he continued, concluding with the hashtag ‘We Out’.

But now, it’s been confirmed that Fecci has tragically died aged just 26.

Nick adds: “The world lost a literal culinary genius that was going to create and inspire so much more, and I lost my best friend.”

The Nashville-based chef died while running a marathon on April 27, organisers of the event confirmed on social media.

He was found unresponsive, per the organisers, during the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series. He received on-site medical attention before being transported to a nearby hospital, where he died, according to the event’s Facebook page.

“We were waiting for him to come around the final stretch when we got the phone call that would destroy our lives forever,” Nick explains.

“We will never comprehend how something like this could happen. We will never understand why the brightest light in all of our lives was taken from us so horrifically and inexplicably.”

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, which owns the St. Jude Marathon and Half Marathon, also released a statement detailing the heartbreaking incident.

“We appreciate the medical personnel who worked quickly to support the participant,” the organisation shares, per Hello.

It continues: “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. Out of respect for the participant and their family, we will have no further comment.”

The Metro Nashville Police Department confirms that Fecci died a natural death that is not under investigation.

His family is raising funds for the Chef Joey Fecci – Culinary Scholarship Memorial Fund.