A Tribute To Ken Morrelly…

On Friday morning when I walked into the office, the phone rang. Lori Alexy picked it up.

“OMG, really?” she said. “That’s horrible….”

She hung up and told us that Ken Morrelly died Thursday night at his home in Southold. He was in his early sixties and died of a heart attack after a full day at the office, coupled with a speaking engagement and cocktail party at Stony Brook University.

Ken Morrelly was brilliant. He was an innovator and a true entrepreneur. Ken was my friend and client.

I first met him about 15 years ago through another friend, Jeff Bass. Ken owned his own company and it was a very successful one. I worked closely with him on the LI Technology Hall of Fame. From there, we remained friends and would meet for lunch and chat about the state of Long Island.

He cared so much about Long Island. He wanted this to be a thriving place for all to live and work. He had so many dreams and so many accomplishments through the years, especially at Long Island Forum for Technology. His latest projects included the Applied Science Center of Innovation and Excellence in Homeland Security.

Ken was a doer. He was a visionary. He made things happen and always had good people around him to make sure that things happened the way he wanted.

About three years ago, Ken and Chairman at the time, Bill Wahlig (another very good friend) asked me to serve on the LIFT board. I graciously accepted. They also asked my firm to represent LIFT with their PR efforts. He wasn’t the easiest person to work with because he was set in what he wanted, but in the end, he was usually right…

Today was his wake. Kristie Galvani was just leaving when Lori Alexy and I got there. She was just as upset as we were. Lori and I walked in and immediately felt the emotions. We walked over to see Ken’s body. He was laying there very peaceful with a cigar in his pocket along with his blackberry. His hard hat from the Homeland Security Center lay next to him as well.

We picked up a prayer card and it said:

In Loving Memory of

C. Kenneth Morrelly

July 21, 1945 – October 1, 2009

GOD, grant me the Serenity

to accept the things I cannot change

Courage to change the things I can and

Wisdom to know the difference.

On the bottom of his prayer card was the homeland security logo and on the front, the American Flag.

Ken Morrelly will always be in the thoughts of people who knew him and his great work will live on forever…