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Greg Giraldo, an Ivy League-educated comedian known for his irreverent style, appeared to have been easing his way into life on the East End. He and his family rented houses in Westhampton and Hampton Bays for several years before purchasing a home in Hampton Bays four years ago, where he lived during the summers and on weekends, according to his real estate agent, Jude Lyons.
But Mr. Giraldo, who also lived in Manhattan, died last Wednesday, September 29, at the age of 44, before he had a chance to make his mark on the community that served as his second home. Media outlets have reported that he was hospitalized after accidently overdosing on prescription medication in New Jersey on September 25.
Mr. Giraldo enjoyed boating and lived in a home on Gardners Lane that sported both a dock and a yard—a hard-to-find combination, according to Ms. Lyons, who works for Fourth Neck Realty in East Quogue. She said he and his wife insisted on a house with a yard so their three young sons had a place to play.
“The kids loved him, just loved him,” said Ms. Lyons, who said she had known Mr. Giraldo for some time because she helped him find homes to rent near the water before he bought a house. “He used to be wrestling with them all the time or playing basketball or doing something.”
The couple recently sold their Hampton Bays home, Ms. Lyons said.
“He was a very bright guy and he was a pretty serious guy,” she added of Mr. Giraldo. “Dealing with him, you would never have known he was a comedian.”
Mr. Giraldo was a touring comedian who also served as a judge on the NBC reality television show Last Comic Standing and was a frequent guest on Comedy Central’s celebrity roasts. He was scheduled to perform at the comedy club Governor’s in Levittown on Friday, October 1, and Saturday, October 2.
Off the stage, Mr. Giraldo was nothing like his caustic on-stage persona, according to John Trueson, a promoter at Governor’s and a comic who said he has known Mr. Giraldo for about 20 years.
“He was just a really super-nice guy,” Mr. Trueson said. “He treated everybody with respect, like they were his friend. He certainly wasn’t a performer who had any attitude with anyone. He was a brilliant man, one of the smartest guys I ever met. One of the funniest guys I’ve ever met.”
Mr. Giraldo earned degrees from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, and briefly worked as a lawyer, according to Mr. Trueson. He added that Mr. Giraldo’s bluntness is what made his second career as a comedian so successful.
“He was just an honest guy,” Mr. Trueson said. “I think that’s what resonated with people. He called things exactly like he saw them.”
on Oct 6, 2010