Why the shocking deaths of ‘Johnny Hockey’ Gaudreau & his brother have hit the Main Line so hard; A SAVVY switcheroo; Hot headlines; This and That & more

 

The Main Line has a special reason to mourn the devastating deaths of pro hockey’s Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew: Johnny’s wife is one of us.

Meredith Gaudreau, 31, is the second of six children of Malvern real estate developer Ed Morris and his wife, Cheryl. She attended St. Norbert School in Paoli, the Academy of Notre Dame in Villanova, and became a nurse at CHOP after graduating from James Madison U.

Meredith and Johnny married in 2021 in Philadelphia and have two children under age 2 – Noa and Baby Johnny – and another baby on the way, that third pregnancy announced during her extraordinarily brave and poignant eulogy of her late husband Monday afternoon. “It’s a blessing.. despite these circumstances,” she said.

The family has a summer home in Avalon – where the couple met as next-door neighbors – and had been living in Ohio near Johnny’s NHL team, the Columbus Blue Jackets.

An NHL All Star seven times, “Johnny Hockey” loved the game, but he loved his family more. He famously snuck away from his own bachelor party to meet up with his bride-to-be and more recently would rush home to his family after games and practices rather than hang with the guys.

Four busloads of NHL players – most were from Johnny’s two teams, the Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets – joined NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and thousands of mourners at the Gaudreau brothers’ funeral Mass at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Media. The church was chosen in part because it could accommodate large crowds. The parish school was closed for the day. Only family and friends were asked to attend; others were invited to watch a livestream.

Meredith and Madeline Gaudreau – both young widows, both pregnant – gave heartbroken, tearful eulogies.

“All I ever wanted was to take care of him and make him happy,” said Meredith during her 35-minute tribute that touched on every facet of their life together. She called her husband a “family first guy…. He never left without kissing us all good-bye.” She noted that “neither John nor Matty suffered” when they were hit by an alleged drunk driver and just picked up their conversation in heaven. Near the end, she re-iterated words she’d posted on Instagram more than a week ago. “You are my forever and I can’t wait to be with you again.”

During her eulogy to her husband, Matty, Meredith’s sister-in-law Madeline urged people not to drink and drive. “Call a ride. Don’t put another family through this torture.”

Both women vowed to be there for each other and their children. Meredith’s sister, Lily Morris, who lived with Meredith, Johnny and their kids for the last year, posted this on Instagram: “I promise to take care of your babies and Mer forever.” She called living with them “the best decision” she’s ever made.

No doubt, the Morrises will lean on their strong Catholic faith as they navigate this tragedy.

Catholics on the western Main Line may know about the extraordinary prayer services led by Ed Morris and his Team Hope at St. Norbert (below).

Hundreds of the faithful attend regularly for inspiration and healing. On fire for his faith, Ed once made bi-weekly trips to Kensington to hand out rings blessed by Pope Francis – along with a candy bar and $5 – to young people living on the streets. At one time SAVVY planned a story about Ed Morris’s ministries. Working title: “St. Ed.” Perhaps it needs to be resurrected.

Meanwhile, a Gofundme for Matty Gaudreau’s pregnant wife, Madeline, and their unborn child, Tripp, has raised nearly $650,000, dwarfing its initial goal of $30K.

If you somehow missed the horrific news: Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, best buddies and hockey standouts at Boston College and in the pros, were killed by a drunk driver while they were bicycling in their hometown, Salem County, NJ, the night before their sister Katie’s wedding, which was set for the Friday of Labor Day Weekend but postponed. Instead of a honeymoon, Katie found herself reading a Bible passage at her brothers’ funeral. She had  their initials engraved on her wedding ring and posted a photo of it with this message: “Forever with me now, J & M.”

Johnny played in the NHL for 11 years. Matty played for AHL and ECHL teams and returned home to become head hockey coach at his alma mater, Gloucester Catholic.

The driver of the Jeep Cherokee that allegedly rear-ended the brothers remains behind bars. Sean Higgins, 43, admitted to drinking “five or six beers,” some while he was driving.

He’s charged with two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide plus driving while intoxicated, possession of an open container, reckless driving, improper passing and consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.

The vehicular manslaughter charges each carry a minimum sentence of 10 years.

A member of the New Jersey National Guard, Higgins has been placed on leave from his job at Gaudenzia, a drug-and-alcohol rehab facility. His next hearing is Sept. 13.

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SAVVY is switching things up!

We’re reporting news as it happens, one story at a time on Instagram, Facebook and on savvymainline.com. As a result, our stories are fresher, shorter and quicker to consume!

But here’s the thing: We won’t be able to send an email blast to alert you to each story. (Our email subscriber list has grown so long, our email newsletter service now costs a bundle!)

So, to stay up to speed – and know when we post fresh news – please, please, please follow us Instagram and Facebook!

Not a social media fan? Open an account – they’re free – and be a “lurker.” No need to post a thing! Email [email protected] if you need help. Of course, if all else fails, you could compulsively check our website for new stories. We won’t mind 🙂

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Our latest headlines (click the headline to see our story and photos):

With high hopes, lessons learned and some debts still owed, Yuletide festival moves from Devon to Liberty Hill

Community reeling after toddler drowns in Wilson Farm Park on Labor Day (UPDATED)

Fiore Rosso is now il Fiore. Will the third time be the charm in Bryn Mawr?

Villanova’s Azie on Main will become offices. Huh? (UPDATED)

Easttown passes Earned Income Tax. Could your township be next?

The war over Oakwell is OVER. Tract to be reunited with neighboring Stoneleigh public garden

DELICE-ous addition to downtown Wayne: Delice et Chocolat

Horrific, freak accident befalls recent Stoga grad, upends his family (UPDATED)

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Savvy Picks***

For empty nesters seeking a stylish new home in Center City: You MUST check out Arthaus Condominiums, a Dranoff Properties residence, offering premiere 2-bedroom condos start at $1.35M. Each residence includes garage parking and a blend of luxury, convenience and cultural vibrancy in the heart of Philadelphia’s Performing Arts District. Open houses available daily. Call (215) 375-7200 or visit arthausphila.com to learn more!

Ready to spice up your social life without paying for a pricey country club? Main Line Newcomers Club is accepting new members – and you don’t need to be new to the area to join. Many members are longtime locals. A social club for local women, Main Line Newcomers Club offers a wide range of fun, engaging and enriching activities –  everything from local “Gallivanters” outings and foodie and cooking groups to a speaker series, day and night book clubs, and more. Visit mainlinenewcomersclub.org for info on membership and activities. 

***SAVVY Picks are shoutouts & promos on behalf of our sponsors. To learn more about becoming a SAVVY Pick, email [email protected]. 

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This and That

Aneu Kitchens is back in Bryn Mawr. A mainstay in Paoli,  Margate and Ocean City, Meridith Coyle just opened her fourth market café on Lancaster Ave. near the Nova Nation watering hole, Kelly’s. Look for the same healthy spin on comfort foods, fresh juices and salads and a smattering of seats indoors and out. A fifth café is under construction in Valley Forge Park on the Grand Parade’s Maurice Stephens House and should open by early winter.

Lower Merion township and its police department are being sued by the woman who was tased four times by a Lower Merion police officer in a controversial Jan. 2023 traffic stop at the Bala Cynwyd Wawa. Chaine Jordan has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging that Officer Charles Murphy used excessive force and violated her rights.

After last year’s concert rainout, T & E Care is moving back inside this year. The 17^th Annual Fall Fest on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Waynesborough CC sounds like a hoot. “Be the Key” features a dueling piano showdown with audience participation by The Philly Keys starring Brian Aglira (Stoga ’02). There’s also an amazing raffle for great Phillies tix, Nova hoops tix, assorted restaurants, premium wine basket and a Janelle Morrison Pet Portrait. Only a few tickets ($125/ea.) are left for the buffet, open bar and entertainment. Click here. If you’re shut out, consider buying raffle tickets online. No need to be present to win.

***Yummy deal just for SAVVY readers!  There’s a new gourmet balsamic vinegar and olive oil kiosk at the King of Prussia Mall through Oct. 31. Tell them you heard about them in SAVVY Main Line and get $5 off your order through Oct. 31. Blazing Bella makes all of their oils, vinegars, hot sauces and salsas at the Artisan Exchange in West Chester. Their kiosk is on the ground floor between Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.  

French Toast bagel, anyone?  Yup, that’s just one of the quirky creations at Bagels & Co., now open at 23 Cricket Ave. in Ardmore. There’s also Habanera Cheddar Rainbow, traditional varieties and a slew of homemade cream cheeses like Black Truffle, Birthday Cake and Zaatar. The shop is open daily from 7 to 3.

Spread Bagelry is spreading like late-summer weeds. The chain of Montreal-style bagel shops just opened an outpost at Ellis Preserve (where it plans dinner fare). Other local Spreads are in downtown Wayne, Bryn Mawr, Wynnewood and King of Prussia.

Need help with makeup? Multiple award-winning makeup artist Beke Beau is back on the Main Line. Beke specializes in natural-looking makeup with healthy products. Her new studio in Paoli Village Shops offers popular “makeup for mature women” workshops, private lessons, special event applications and brow and lash services.

Just in time for Eagles kickoffs, Phillies playoffs and Big Five hoops …  the Main Line’s second Rally House sportswear shop just opened in Gateway Shopping Center near Panera Bread.

Who needs yoga? There’s a new way to find your zen. Sweet Zen Bakery – “where each bite brings you closer to your piece of Zen”–  is finally up and baking in the Commons at Great Valley near PJ Whelihans. Owner/baker is Amal Kawar, pastry chef at Basil in Paoli 20 years ago. Sweet Zen sells breads, cakes, breakfast pastries, cookies, biscotti and more.

Valley Forge National Historical Park is good for business. Like really good. A new National Park Service report shows the park’s 1.9 million visitors in 2023 spent $27.2 million in local businesses and supported 411 local jobs. Cumulative economic benefit: $44.7 million. Yowza.

Kudos to Stoga sophomore Dom Pecora, aka Dom Fixes Bikes, who made the honoree list for Time Magazine’s 2024 Kid of the Year. We gave Dom his first press when he opened a bike repair shop in a Berwyn garage at age 12. Four years later, Dom Fixes Bikes is 501(c)3 nonprofit with its own Malvern storefront. Dom repairs and sells new and used bikes and donates bikes to “everyone who applies for a bike.” Last year DFB gave away 121 bikes at the holidays, many of them kids on the spectrum at The Timothy School. A BMX bike enthusiast, Pecora was also behind the successful campaign for a bike skills park in Mill Road Park in Tredyffrin.

Iron Hill Brewery has exited the Main Line. The chain’s Ardmore location on Greenfield Ave. closed after 10 years in early August. Iron Hill has 20 brewpubs in five states including outposts in Media, Phoenixville and West Chester.

Family-friendly sports card and apparel retailer Wheelhouse Cards is rolling into Ardmore. The new outpost at 78 Rittenhouse Place will be Wheelhouse’s third in the last three years. The flagship is in downtown Wayne.

Fast-fashion teen retailer Brandy Melville USA opened in Suburban Square last month. The vibe is California easy – form-fitting basics in muted colors. The brand has endured backlash for its one-size policy and alleged body-shaming.

Abbey Fest, the Paoli festival whose lead act is always Jesus, rings in 10 years of faith, family and contemporary Christian music on Saturday, Sept 14. Held on the grounds of Daylesford Abbey, the daylong event’s other headliners include 9-time Grammy nominee Matt Maher and Phila. Archbishop Nelson Perez, who will celebrate Mass. Of local interest: the inaugural Mark Christmyer Emerging Artist Danny McCarthy. The Mark Christmyer fund sponsors homegrown talent and was founded in memory of the late Mark Christmyer, a beloved St. Norbert parishioner and original Abbey Fest board member. Tix and more info here.

Another mane event at the Devon Horse Show fairgrounds.  The 11th Annual Devon Fall Classic, low-key cousin to the big spring show, trots into town this weekend, Sept. 12  to 15. It’s a something-for-everyone fall equestrian festival: Midway rides and games for the kiddos, boutique shopping, wine gazebo and live music for grownups, and for one and all: the thrills and chills of top-shelf show jumping. The prize for the Friday night Open Speed Stake is 10K this year, double last year’s purse. The famous Devon Lead Line is back and the whole shebang climaxes in the exciting $25K Devon Fall Classic Grand Prix Saturday night. More info here.

Cabrini, the major motion picture produced by the Main Line Wolfington clan that we wrote about last March, won “Best American Movie” and “Best European Actress” (Cristiana Dell’Anna) at a prestigious 2024 Septimius Film Festival.

How sweet it is. Jeni’s Ice Creams is coming to the Main Line. The adventurous artisan creamery – its new fall flavors include Bayleaf Cheesecake and Miso Butterscotch Brownie – says it will soon operate a scoop shop on Forrest Ave. in Narberth.

Miniskirt alert in Radnor. The popular Bryn Mawr boutique, Skirt, has a smaller space inside Jay Michael Salon & Spa at the Radnor Hotel complex.

That fairytale cottage on Route 30 in Devon is dark again. Cute-as-a-button plant shop Stump closed in early July. “Over the course of three years, we realized that the little cottage is picturesque but not the ideal location for our business in terms of foot traffic,” owner Brian Kellet tells SAVVY. “The parking was a little tricky and the space was a bit small to host private events so we made the decision to close and consider other locations.”

Taco Mar is slinging salsa in the old Fraser Diner, its third outpost.

In case this slipped by… one of the original tenants at Gateway Shopping Center, which was built in 1967, is gone. Sal’s Pizza was closed late last year reportedly due to multiple health violations. A Korean BBQ chicken spot is now operating in the space.

“Doing Business While Being Black on the Main Line” is the topic of this year’s Community Breakfast Collaborative at Villanova U. The panelists, led by moderator Diana Robertson, will explore thriving Main Line Black-owned businesses and the challenges of launching and growing a profitable business. Reserve your spot at the Sept. 18 event here.

In case you missed it… The YMCA of Greater Brandywine, which includes the Upper Main Line Y in Berwyn, got unexpected blowback over its decision to close for the federal holiday, Juneteenth. According to a letter from YGBW’s President/CEO Bertram Lawson, dozens of members challenged the closure in emails he called “disrespectful” and “disturbing” with “accusations, untruths about Juneteenth and misuse of terms like discrimination and equity – and worse.” The emails reminded Lawson that “racism, discrimination, hate and pure ignorance exist to this day.” He wanted to give his staff “well deserved time off”  to observe a holiday commemorating freedom for all. The Upper Main Line Y and YMCA of Greater Brandywine locations also closed for the first time on Labor Day and will close this Thanksgiving, also a first. The Ys are always closed on Christmas and Easter.

A Sunday for sisterhood in Lower Merion. A historical marker honoring three trailblazing women will be dedicated at 2 p.m. this Sunday, Sept 15 at Idealea estate at 18 N. Highland Ave. in Bala Cynwyd. Idenlea was the summer estate of PA’s first woman physician, abolitionist Dr. Hannah Myers; her daughter, suffragist and Phila. First Lady Lucretia Mott Longshore Blankenburg; and her sister, abolitionist and suffragist Dr. Jane Viola Myers. The ceremony is free with RSVP requested to programs@lowermerionhistory.org.

A new Wich Way Sandwich Bar is whipping up globally-inspired sandwiches and salads inside Pinwheel Provisions in Bryn Mawr, the flash frozen and prepared foods emporium that moved from Narberth last November.

A newish Malvern business brings your toddler’s party to your own backyard. Little Party Playground rents adorable bounce houses and balls pits that can be customized to your theme. They’re Montessori-approved, too.

Kudos to onetime Baldwin buddies: filmmaker Ishana Night Shymalan and fashion designer Lily Barnes. Ishana sported a smashing Lily Barnes original at the early summer premiere of “The Watchers,” her first directorial debut.

Willows Park Preserve will host “Twilight on the Terrace” at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. $125/pp for lite fare from Peachtree, live music, fire pit and games. This fundraiser for the ongoing restoration and maintenance of the beloved Radnor park will honor Chanticleer Exec. Director Bill Thomas.

Rest in peace, Sandy DeMaio. The owner of an eponymous antique jewelry shop in Bryn Mawr for 45 years passed on August 27.

Your kiddos can play with the Phanatic and “Slide into Red October” at King Swings HQ in Parkesburg Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 to 2. It’s a free harvest festival with food trucks, farmstand, horse rides, crafts and a chance to play on King Swings’ 20 awesome custom swing sets. PS Bryce Harper owns one!

Heartfelt congrats to Wayne’s Leslie Roy, who will be honored with ECHOES Humanitarian Award, at an Oct 19 fundraiser for the Devon-based nonprofit at Goshen Hill Barn in Malvern. Leslie will be recognized for her amazing work leading the creation and distribution of re-usable menstrual kits to underserved communities via Days for Girls. At the same event, Teresa Marlino, MD, will accept ECHOES Founders Award. $125/pp for cocktails, dinner, games & prizes. Tickets and more info here. See you there!

Another one for your radar: HelpHopeLive’s “Live it up” gala Oct. 24 at Drexelbrook. Former Eagle Barrett Brooks will emcee the festivities that will honor, among others, former 6ABC anchor and Haverford resident Lisa Thomas Laurie for her courage in the face of chronic illness, and Stephanie McAlaine of Devon for her volunteerism. SAVVY readers will recognize HelpHopeLive as the nonprofit that helps with fundraising for Patrick Hoey’s medical expenses. Hoey is the recent Conestoga grad who suffered a paralyzing spinal-cord injury when he dove into a lake in the summer of 2023. (We told his inspiring story here.)

Meanwhile, Hope4Hoey will throw its second annual cornhole tournament Oct. 13 at St. Mathew’s Church in Wayne to help fund medical expenses for Patrick. Register here. 

And finally, Happy 1^st Anniversary to the (new & improved) At the Table  The upscale dinner house in downtown Wayne has made some BIG changes, which we’ll share with you very soon.

Until then, Happy Fall, y’all.