A viewing was held Monday night at Wackerman Funeral Home in Fox Chase for Joe Bilbee, a popular nightclub disc jockey who died last week. He was 64.
Bilbee was a Fox Chase native who graduated from St. Cecilia Grammar School and Cardinal Dougherty High School (class of 1968).
For more than 25 years, Bilbee was the DJ at Moore’s Inlet, a well-known, nearly century-old bar in North Wildwood, New Jersey. With Bilbee perched on a platform, big crowds would come on Friday and Saturday nights to hear him play and sing along to oldies, dance tunes and the occasional television theme song.
Bilbee also attracted a big Sunday night crowd, and one highlight of the summer was the annual New Year’s Eve party at Moore’s, held on the Thursday night before Labor Day weekend.
Later, Bilbee became a part-owner of Moore’s, which was sold in 2005 to make room for condominiums.
Bilbee had a home in one of those condos, where he died of a heart attack while on a treadmill on June 9.
On stage, Bilbee would always proudly say, “I’m Joe Bilbee from Fox Chase.” He was a former coach for Fox-Rok Athletic Association and a DJ at various bars in the Northeast.
Bilbee was the brother of Jerome, Janet, Joyce, Joan, James, John and the late Judy. He was the longtime partner of Kelly Ann Nowacky and her children Ashley and Scott.
The funeral Mass and interment were private.
Donations in Bilbee’s memory can be made to the American Diabetes Association, 150 Monument Road, Suite 100, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004. ••
