Alex Werner of Sag Harbor, a devoted surf fisherman who was deeply involved in the fishing community here, died at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital last Thursday at the age of 55. He had complications of chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and had been ill for 12 years.
He was known to collect fishing equipment since the age of 10, and many of his happiest days were spent fishing with his friends on South Fork bays and beaches.
Mr. Werner was a baker for two decades at Loaves and Fishes in Sagaponack and later spent 12 years working at the Southampton Animal Shelter, where he held many roles, including handling pet adoptions. His family said he will be remembered for his “kind and generous nature” that “earned him many friends, all of whom were extremely important to him.”
Born on Dec. 12, 1964, in Manhattan, he was a son of Frederick Paxton Werner and the former Eliza Gill. He grew up in Sag Harbor and attended the Hampton Day School in Bridgehampton and, in Sag Harbor, the St. Andrew School and Pierson Middle and High School, graduating in 1983. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Connecticut College.
In 2006 he married Maria Silvestre, with whom he traveled throughout Europe and Asia. She survives him, as does her son, Mr. Werner’s stepson, Justin Isana of San Diego.
Mr. Werner’s parents also survive, his mother in Sag Harbor and his father in Noyac. Mr. Werner also leaves a brother, Oliver Gill Werner of Brooklyn, two nephews, and many extended family members.
A memorial will be held in the future.
