John McCaffrey, 87

John R. McCaffrey, an art lover who had collected work by East End artists since the 1960s, died of lung cancer on March 25 at his home in Bridgehampton. He was 87. 

Frequent visits to an aunt who lived in East Hampton led him to the South Fork. He eventually split his time between Bridgehampton and a winter residence in Sarasota, Fla.

It was at a Springs Fisherman’s Fair in the early 1960s that he bought his first local art. He soon discovered it was by Perle Fine, a well-known Abstract Expressionist.

Born on July 27, 1931, in Brooklyn, Mr. McCaffrey grew up in the borough and attended the Sacred Heart Catholic School there. After graduating from Penn State University, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Texas. When he returned to New York, he worked for BlueCross BlueShield, the health insurance company.

An active man, he was a member of Guild Hall, the Parrish Art Museum, the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla., and the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. 

Memorial donations have been suggested to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach 11978.