John Girdler

John Glover Girdler, a summer resident of Montauk, died in his sleep on Feb. 10 at an assisted living facility in Seattle. He was 74 and had Parkinson’s disease.

During summers, Mr. Girdler fished off Montauk Point and kept the Arabella, a 36-foot Downeast lobster boat custom-designed by Wayne Beal, at the Montauk Marine Basin. For 15 years, from May until September, he lived on the boat, returning to his home in Charlottesville, Va., as the weather cooled. During winters, he skied in the mountains of Colorado. 

Mr. Girdler was born on April 13, 1941, in Greenwich, Conn., the fourth son of Reynolds Tracy Girdler and the former Barbara Kitchel.

An enthusiastic reader, he studied English literature at the University of Virginia. During the 1960s, Mr. Girdler lived in Bridgehampton, later settling in Albemarle County, Va. 

Mr. Girdler is survived by three children: Erin Binney Girdler of Kalamazoo, Mich., Andrew Lewis Girdler of Seattle, and Catherine Ann Spina of Groton, Conn. Three brothers, Reynolds Girdler Jr. of Old Greenwich, Conn., Allan Girdler of Rainbow, Calif., and Lewis Girdler of Boston, also survive him. He leaves three grandchildren. 

His family will disperse his ashes in the sea during a private ceremony this summer.

Donations in Mr. Girdler’s memory have been suggested to the Billfish Foundation, 5100 North Federal Highway, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33308.