Anthony "Tony" Friel

Anthony (Tony) Friel Age 84, of Philadelphia, PA passed away January 17th, 2024. Anthony (Tony) was born in Coleraine, County Derry, Northern Ireland in 1939. He is preceded in death by his parents, James and Bridget; Sisters, Sheila, Mary and Eileen; Brothers, Jim, Patrick and George. Survived by his beloved wife, Mary Friel; 3 loving children, Julie Friel (Rod Glose), Barbara Friel, and Anthony Friel (Jan); 2 Sisters, Bernadette McAfee and Ann Langfield (Clive) 5 grandchildren, Olivia Henley (Jack), Emi Grasso, Charlotte Kaplan, Jordan Friel, and Colin Friel; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Tony never met a stranger. His smile and wit endeared him to all and he always had a joke waiting in the wings. He lived a life of adventure before settling down and starting a family. In his teens in Coleraine, he was a very successful amateur Lightweight boxer for the Coleraine Sea Cadets where he won several titles including the 1960 National Boxing Championships in Birmingham, England. Upon his arrival in New York City in 1961 he quickly found himself in the US Army and was a proud Veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division where he had over 25 jumps with a few “Hollywood” jumps sprinkled in, which, if you knew him, was a very Tony Friel thing to do. After the Army he went on to a career as a Union Carpenter in New York City with Local 608/157. He eventually settled in Bogota, NJ where he lived for 30 years and raised his family with his loving wife Mary. In his retirement he found he had a lot of time to spend with his grandchildren and the name “Poppy” was born. Tony loved being a grandfather and being around for their recitals and sporting events. A few years into retirement Tony and Mary moved to Philadelphia, PA where he opened another chapter of his life. This meant daily long walks all over the city looking at the architecture and his weekly visits to the Philadelphia Library because he was a voracious reader of anything in the non-fiction section. He was a man that was devoted to his family both near and far. He would do anything for anyone but none more so than his own family. He will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him. To the man who couldn’t wait until tomorrow because he got better looking every day, we can’t wait to see how good looking you are when we see you again. Family and friends are invited to his Funeral Mass 10 A.M. Friday January 26th at the Cathedral Basilica at SS.Peter and Paul (Main Church), 18th and Ben Franklin Parkway. The family will receive friends in church 9-10A.M. Interment Private. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Jane & Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute at https://giving.jefferson.edu/giving-guide/centers-institutes/korman-respiratory-institute/give.html There will be a Celebration of Dad with food, drink, stories and The Craic to follow back at the Penn Center House at 1900 JFK Boulevard in the 2nd Floor Lounge. Parking for the funeral and repast is available at Penn Center House at 1900 Commerce St (GPS address right behind building) for a fee. Funeral Mass Livestream: https://vimeo.com/event/4029904

Anthony "Tony" Friel

November 3, 1939 - January 17, 2024

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Anthony "Tony" Friel

November 3, 1939 - January 17, 2024

About Us

What We Do

Grief & Healing

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Plan Ahead

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