Robert Morea

News Obituary Article

Robert Morea, radio host at GSU's station

By DERRICK HENRY

Cystic fibrosis could not diminish the quality of Robert Morea's life.

He held a full-time job as a night clerk at Walgreens. He played the trumpet and was learning to play the guitar. He studied creative writing and poetry at Georgia State University, where he was two courses away from graduating. He was host of two weekly shows on GSU's student-run radio station WRAS-FM (88.5), where he had been appointed program director in May.

Most of his friends didn't even know Mr. Morea had the progressive congenital disease.

Robert Morea III, 27, of Marietta died June 20 of lung failure at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. The body was cremated. The memorial Mass is 10 a.m. today at Holy Family Catholic Church. H.M. Patterson & Son, Canton Hill, is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Morea (pronounced moreray) was best known on WRAS for his contributions to the Georgia Music Show from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, of which he was co-host with the station's General Manager Cassie Smith of Atlanta. The show spotlights Georgia musicians, some of whom Mr. Morea interviewed live and had perform on the show.

"One of Robert's biggest things was to give people a chance," said Ms. Smith. "He had very wide taste in music, from folk to heavy acoustic rock, and he wanted to give local musicians a voice."

Mr. Morea did his homework. He listened diligently to CDs that the station received and scouted concerts for deserving talent.

"Robert was passionate about Georgia music and did a really big thing for the show by expanding it more than anyone had done," said Farbod Kokabi of Atlanta, an assistant music director at the station.

Bursting with ideas, Mr. Morea recently had begun a show called "Melodically Challenged." It aired midnight to 2 a.m. Fridays and featured his other great love, poetry.

"He'd play recordings of important poets like Dylan Thomas and W.H. Auden reading their own material," Ms. Smith said.

"Robert had so many new ideas, things he wanted to implement," she said. "He set the bar very high for the next program director, and he was only on the job for three weeks."

Mr. Morea was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was 5 months old.

While a sixth-grader at East Cobb Middle School, he decided he wanted to play trumpet.

"I was horrified," said his mother, Katherine Kincer of Marietta. "But his doctors said that it would the best exercise for his lungs."

Mr. Morea became good enough to play in the Wheeler High School marching band. "He marched and competed and went to band camp," his mother said.

His senior year, he was diagnosed with diabetes.

As his health worsened, Mr. Morea needed daily physical therapy.

He took a dozen pills before each meal. Eventually, he required intravenous antibiotics and a ready supply of oxygen.

Hospital stays grew more frequent. When Mr. Morea had a setback, he'd have to drop courses at GSU, where he'd been a student since 1998.

A turning point in his life came on his 24th birthday, Jan. 6, 2003. He received a double lung transplant.

"Things went spectacularly well after the transplant," his mother said. "For the last 3 1/2 years, Bobby led a relatively normal life."

Survivors include his stepfather, Larry E. Kincer of Marietta; his father, Robert Morea of New Port Richey, Fla.; and a sister, Michelle Lynn Morea of Atlanta.

© 2006 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution