Herbert F. Knoblach, Fisherman, Craftsman

Herbert Knoblach, a Montauk resident who was a pioneer in mako shark fishing and had worked at Hither Hills State Park and the Montauk Marine Basin, died at home on Friday of the complications of diabetes. He was 84 years old and had been ill for two years.

Mr. Knoblach grew up in Middle Village and spent teenage summers working on charter boats out of Fish Shangrila in Montauk. He moved to Montauk after serving in the Navy during the Korean War. A friend, Joe LiPani of Montauk, called him “a gentle giant.” He began shark fishing on the Sinbad in the mid-1960s and, Mr. LiPani said, “always caught and released blue sharks and any other fish that they did not want to keep.”

Mr. Knoblach had a lifelong passion for woodworking and boat building, having built a sailboat with his brothers when he was a teenager. A consummate craftsman, his family said he was happy to share what he knew with others and to offer help.

Kim Fagerland of Amagansett said her father had regretted not staying in the Navy, in which he served for four years and had been a boatswain’s mate on the battleship Wisconsin before settling in Montauk.

He was born on June 26, 1932, in Middle Village, one of the three sons of George Frank Knoblach and the former Mary Ann Schneider. He attended high school there.

Mr. Knoblach was introduced to his wife-to-be, Jane Hart, through a mutual friend at Idlewild Airport, where she worked for Pan Am. They married on Sept. 7, 1955. She survives, as do two daughters, Ms. Fagerland and Marianne Athanosios of Sebago, Me.

The family wrote that Mr. Knoblach was “trusted and respected, known for his cheerful outlook on life, his honesty and integrity, and could always be counted on to lend a hand.” He had a lifelong interest in hunting as well as fishing and boat building.

In addition to his wife and daughters, Mr. Knoblach is survived by a brother, George Knoblach of Montauk, three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. His brother Jack, who lived in Florida, died before him.

The family said that his ashes would be scattered in accordance with his wishes.