Obituary of Barry John Cullen

July 9, 2024

Barry John Cullen, restaurateur and life-long resident of Greenwich Village died on July 9^th, 2024, surrounded by family and friends.

Born on September 13, 1933, to Irish parents who immigrated to the U.S., he was the first of his six siblings to be delivered in a hospital. He attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School on West 4^th Street and earned a scholarship to attend Regis High School. After a 2-year stint in the Army, and a tenure at New York University, he began working in banking at the behest of one of his older brothers—but a serendipitous trip to New Orleans with his lifelong friend Zoot Sims, led to a deep appreciation of Jazz and hospitality, which compelled him to leave the banking world and enter the restaurant business.  After working for several years at the famed Chumley’s on Bedford Street, he opened the first Cajun Restaurant in NYC, The Sazerac House, on the corner of Hudson and Charles streets in 1965. He was also the proprietor of The Paris Bistro, Lombardi’s, John Clancy’s and Auntie Pasta—all village stalwarts.

Throughout his life, he was a quintessential publican and an active member of the Greenwich Village Community; he was named Man of the Year in 1995 by The William Church Osborn Society Club of The Children’s Aid Society, Greenwich Village Center and he contributed to many local interests, including forming a local merchant’s group to advocate for small business, and active support of local hospice facilities supporting patients during the height of the AIDS epidemic. Barry was a patron of the arts, loved to visit museums and above all loved his family and New York City.

Barry is survived by his wife Deirdre, his three daughters Kim, Andrea and Laura, sons-in-law David and Patrick and his granddaughter Hannah. We will miss his guidance, his humor and his heart.

A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, September 5^th at 10:00am

Saint Joseph’s Church: 371 6^th Avenue in Greenwich Village

Followed by a public celebration of life at 2:30pm

Bayard’s Ale House: 533 Hudson Street

In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.