Local obituary: Sonny Lepore, 90, ‘legendary Chelsea barber’

Relatives and friends are most kindly invited to attend visiting hours in the Welsh Funeral Home, 718 Broadway, Chelsea, on Friday, November 24th, from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., for Sonny Lepore, who passed away suddenly after a brief and sharp decline in health. He was 90 years of age. His funeral will begin at the funeral home on Saturday, November 25th, at 9:30 A.M. Immediately followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Anthony of Padua Church, 250 Revere St., Revere, at 11:00 A.M. Services will conclude with interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.

Born and raised in Chelsea, he was the beloved son of the late Melinto “Morley” Lepore and Louise (Cambria) Lepore. 

Sonny was a lifelong resident of Chelsea and attended schools in Chelsea, Somerville, and Boston School of Barbering. 

He was married to Patricia C. (Fern) for 50 years and together raised their daughter and later welcomed two grandchildren into their home.  

Family was always first in his heart, no one meant more to him than his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. One only needed to talk with him briefly for a second and you would know this to be true. 

You would also soon realize that his second joy in life was Barbering! Sonny was a third-generation family Barber. His grandfather and Italian immigrant Serafino Lepore established the “Modern Barber Shop” on Broadway. The shop was next passed to Sonny’s father, Melinto “Morley” Lepore, and was renamed “Morley’s Barber Shop,” and with Sonny and his father working together the shop became a Chelsea institution.  

Several years ago, Sonny relocated the shop into his Chelsea home. Patrons would travel across the state, country, and even the globe to get their haircut, commiserate with old friends, catch up on Chelsea affairs, or just have a visit in the shop with a cup of Sonny’s “Special Back-room Coffee.” His patrons came from various walks of life, from the rich and famous, politicians, or the regular working man. Whether famous or notorious, nobody was better than anyone else to Sonny, except maybe his grandchildren. 

Sonny never retired, he was a barber extraordinaire for 70 years, and he gave his last haircuts in his Home-Based Shop on Saturday, November 11th . He will be remembered as one of Chelsea greatest sons, and a true local legend.  

Sonny was an integral part of his grandchildren’s lives, supporting them in all of their pursuits, mentoring them, and offering them his old school knowledge of the world and people.  

Sonny also enjoyed gardening, as any of the shop patrons would attest. He was a talented cook, cooking in his traditional Italian Home Style. In his earlier lifetime he and his wife enjoyed vacationing in New Hampshire, and he would make several trips to Las Vegas with his own “Chelsea Rat Pack” and recently shorter trips to local casinos.  

Sonny was predeceased by his parents, a sister Rose Mullett, survived by her husband James, and brothers and sisters-in-law, the late Ralph and Dolly Fern, Elizabeth and Guy Toro, Carolyn and Robert Holsten, and John and Otavia Fern.

Sonny was widowed in 2007, the beloved husband of the late Patricia C. (Fern) Lepore. He is survived by his loving and caring daughter Lisa Lepore-Perry and her husband William “Bill” Perry of Middleton, the devoted and cherished grandfather of Anthony Perry and Arianna Perry of Middleton, and dear brother-in-law of Joseph Fern and his wife Christine of Chelsea. He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and treasured friends.  

Should friends desire, contributions in Sonny’s name can be made to American Heart Assoc., 93 Worcester St., Wellesley, MA 02481. https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/ways-to-give

This local obituary is published via Legacy.com and Welsh Funeral Home. Want a loved one’s obituary featured on Boston.com? Submit your obituary here, or email it to [email protected].