Lori Panarello

Lori Panarello, a Long Island hairstylist and LGBTQ+ community organizer best known for founding the North Fork Pride Parade in Greenport, New York, <cite index="1-1">died at 67</cite>, with news of her death reported on October 12, 2026.

<cite index="7-1,7-3">Raised in New York City, Lori Panarello developed an early love for fashion, architecture, and design, an influence that continued to shape her approach to hair, and her work led her to a long career as a global platform artist and educator for international hair brands, sharing her craft with stylists around the world.</cite> <cite index="2-1">She moved to the North Fork from Brooklyn about ten years before 2023, and came to realize how many members of the LGBTQ community not only lived in the area but also owned businesses.</cite> <cite index="6-5">She purchased a home on the North Fork nearly a decade before 2023 and opened her Greenport salon during the COVID-19 pandemic after years of working as the global artistic director for KMS Hair.</cite> <cite index="7-5">She also previously owned an award winning salon in Woodbury, Long Island, which she sold in December, allowing her to focus on the next chapter of her career.</cite>

<cite index="6-6">She immersed herself in the community through her participation in groups such as North Fork Women and Beauty United Against Bullying, a nonprofit she launched in 2016.</cite> <cite index="5-1">After hearing about multiple teenage suicides, her salon launched the movement Beauty Against Bullying.</cite> <cite index="6-7">She went on to recruit salon owners in New York, Atlanta, Salt Lake City and other cities to join the fight against bullying.</cite> In 2023 she partnered with the nonprofit LGBT Network to organize the first ever North Fork Pride event, <cite index="1-4">which featured a colorful parade through Greenport Village followed by a street fair and tea dance.</cite> <cite index="1-8">Before that first parade she declared, "It will not rain on our parade."</cite> <cite index="6-2,6-4">The first ever North Fork Pride Parade brought joy to residents that was visible and palpable and had lasting positive effects for the community, leading The Suffolk Times to choose her as its Community Leader of the Year for 2023.</cite>

<cite index="4-2,4-3">On December 27, 2025, Panarello posted a message on Facebook saying that her health had deteriorated, writing, "It is with great sadness that I announce I have been diagnosed with a brain tumor, necessitating the sale of the salon to ensure the continued well being of the dedicated staff you have grown to appreciate."</cite> <cite index="4-5">She said she considered the staff as family and planned to continue visiting the salon for haircuts.</cite>

News of her death brought an outpouring of tributes from the community she had helped build. <cite index="3-5,3-6,3-7">North Fork Women announced that it was with heavy hearts that they shared the passing of their friend and fellow community member, saying she was truly a force for good who radiated joy, light and kindness, with an infectious smile and a spirit that made everyone around her feel welcome.</cite> <cite index="3-3,3-4">A community gathering was planned so that people could come together to celebrate the life of Lori Panarello, surrounded by the Pride flags and the community she loved so much.</cite> <cite index="3-1">One tribute noted that she and her wife, Catherine, had elevated the dialogue and community on the North Fork.</cite> The precise circumstances and official cause of her death have not been made public.