‘Our loss. Heaven’s gain.’ Bay St. Louis chef/restaurateur Tony Trapani dies
The doors of Trapani’s Eatery were open Tuesday, but the atmosphere of the Bay St. Louis restaurant just wasn’t the same without chef and owner Tony Trapani.
“I’ve worked with him for 10 years and it just feels empty without him,” said Lauren Spiers.
Trapani passed away in California surrounded by loved ones on Monday. The date was already a significant one for the family.
“Our mother passed 19 years ago today,” said Tony’s brother, Cary in a post on Facebook Monday. “He was born on the 19th and he and [Marsha met on Sept. 19].”
Friends and family spoke of Trapani’s big smile and kind heart.
A post on his restaurant’s Facebook page said his eccentric personality and smile were contagious. “He was one of a kind. His passion and talent was a gift to us. Bay St. Louis will never be the same.”
Trapani created an iconic space with the eatery and its upstairs bar. Jimmy Buffet mentioned Tony and the restaurant in Garden & Gun magazine. “I had a roommate from Bay St. Louis, and Tony’s place still reminds me of the time I spent in the area during my not-so-stellar collegiate career,” he said.
Trapani’s Eatery was one of the beloved businesses destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. But Trapani and business partner Jolynne Trapani reopened in a new location in a matter of months. By 2012, the restaurant returned to the beachfront at 116 N. Beach Blvd.
Tony loved food, art, music, family and fishing. Nell Schmidt said Tony excelled in all of his passions. He was a “great fisherman, great chef, great artist, great fan of living life. Our loss, Heaven’s gain.”
Edmond Fahey Funeral Home is handling the arrangements, but the arrangements have not yet been completed.
This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 4:18 PM.
