On June 20, Pride Day, appropriately, in Cherry Grove, much of Cherry Grove crowded into Cherry’s for a memorial show remembering the late Lois McIntosh, the bar’s original co-owner, with her surviving spouse Meryl Facterman. Lois passed away last September 30. Charity returned to the Grove as Mistress of Ceremonies and Tom Branigan was the DJ.
Charity’s numbers were “Big, Blonde, and Beautiful,” from “Hairspray,” and “When You’re Good to Mama,” from “Chicago.” She recalled Lois’ welcome to her, at the Sea Shack, right after Charity won the Miss Fire Island 1968 title.
Donna Piranha remembered meeting Lois and Meryl during her first week in the Grove, 25 years ago, and offered a couple of songs (“Everywhere I go, every smile I see,” “The Greatest Love of All”) in her memory.
Porsche sang “This will be” and “My sweet joy (always remember me).”
Bella’s selections were ones that Lois gave her, telling her not to tell Charity, and these were a Carmen Miranda medley (“Weekend in Havana”) and “I’m a middle-aged woman (Hot flash!)” Ivanna Cocktail saluted Lois with “Friends,” the Bette Midler song, and “Get this Party Started.” Demi-Tasse did a Dusty Springfield song and Gusty Winds, “Bring on the Men,” from “Jekyll and Hyde.” Panzi offered, “He ain’t Mr. Right, but he’s Mr. Right Now.”
There were spoken tributes from Nancy Famiglietti and Maria.
Current Cherry’s owners Donna Bianco and Jacqué Piazza brought Meryl to the stage for a presentation: they are naming the entrance way to Cherry’s “Lois Lane,” in Lois’ honor, and showed us the sign that will be placed there.
Johny Pool closed the show by singing “What a Wonderful World,” Louis Armstrong-style.
There was a reception, with Italian food for all and, after the show, we tossed red roses into the Great South Bay, from the Cherry’s dock, as we remembered Lois, who was a pillar of our community.