Alexander “Butch” Lupinetti will always be remembered for his passion for cooking and his zest for life.

“He often had the energy of the 21-year-old with everything he did in life,” said Lynne Lupinetti, his wife of 21 years, on Tuesday. “You could by no means tell if he was with a damaging day. He always had a smile on his face.”

Lupinetti, who was greatest called an award-winning barbecue master and owner of Butch’s Smack Your Lips BBQ in Mount Laurel, died suddenly a couple of weeks ago while vacationing with his family in Italy. He was 69.

Lupinetti was a Pemberton Township native and lived large portions of his life in Mount Holly and Mount Laurel. He opened a roadside bar called Butch’s Location in Pemberton Township within the 1960’s in which he perfected his cooking kind for 30 years. in 1996, he hit the open road to share his adore of cooking from the rest in the country.

“It was probably the most factor he ever did,” Lynne Lupinetti recalled. “Cooking usually was a adore of his. and he incredibly got to pursue his adore of cooking.”

Lupinetti went on to receive over 500 awards for his cooking and appeared over a Meals Network quite a few times. He made an award-winning line of barbecue sauces and gained reputation in between the nation’s barbecue food industry.

He won awards in 13 different states, as far away as Florida, Minnesota and Nevada and he opened a retail stand at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia in 2006 in which Flyers and Sixers fans could experience his flavorful food.

His sauces and BBQ rubs, in addition to T-shirts and other product are out there for invest in on his website www.smackyourlipsbbq.com. His famous recipes just like pulled pork, baked beans, beer can turkey and cranberry mango salsa are shared on his site.

In taking a break from his very busy work traveling schedule, Lupinetti finally made arrangement to vacation in Italy, a location his wife mentioned he dreamed of visiting most of his life.

“He talked about heading to Italy for 40 years,” she said. “This year he finally was able to fit it into his busy schedule.”

Friends and relatives are invited to visit the family at Perinchief Chapels at 438 High Street in Mount Holly on Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to noon. Services and interment will likely be held privately.

Contributions in memory of Lupinetti and in your scholarship in his name, might be created for the Burlington County College Foundation for your Culinary Program, the Small business Center at BCC, 300 College Circle, Suite 256 in Mount Laurel.