Fred W. Nagel

From his stint in the Navy, where he played the bugle, to the nightclubs of New York City during the modern jazz heyday, music and the exploration of human consciousness were key parts of Fred W. Nagel’s life. The former Jungian psychotherapist and licensed real estate agent died on Oct. 21 after a series of illnesses. He was 86.

Mr. Nagel had been a summer resident of Amagansett, having built with his own hands a small place in the dunes, completing it in 1963 with his sister, Arlene Coulter, and their respective spouses. More recently, he lived in Springs with his wife, Nancy Peabody, who died in 2010, in a house they called Quince de Mayo. He had earlier marriages to Patricia Buris and Suzanna Ellard.

He was born in Ridgewood, Queens, on Feb. 18, 1931, to Frederick William Finkernagel and the former Jewel Hess. After finishing school in Queens, Mr. Nagel served in the Navy from 1951 to 1953. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University, which he attended on the G.I. Bill, and received a master’s degree from the C.G. Jung Institute, going into private practice as a psychotherapist in 1967. 

He saw patients in his office on the Upper West Side of Manhattan until 2007. His therapy practice often focused on helping patients achieve creative self-expression and fulfillment, something he also sought to instill in his small circle of family and close friends.

He joined Allan M. Schneider real estate as an agent in 1994 and continued with the Corcoran company in its Amagansett office after it bought Schneider. He retired in 2012.

Mr. Nagel was a quiet and deeply thoughtful person who took devoted care of his wife, dogs, and Springs home, his family said. He was moved by the works of Shakespeare, Joseph Campbell, and Ernest Hemingway. His book of poems, “Twenty-Five to Life: A Love Story,” was published by Accabonac Press in 2011. Other writing, chiefly memoir, appeared in The East Hampton Star. 

As his illnesses worsened in recent years and he needed a helping hand, his niece Gillian Coulter lived with him in Springs.

In addition to his sister, who lives in East Hampton, and niece, Mr. Nagel is survived by a grandchild, another niece, and three grandnephews. 

A memorial service for Mr. Nagel, who was cremated, will be held on Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. at the Springs Presbyterian Church, where he was a member of the congregation. The Rev. Scot McCachren will officiate.