Martin White Of Southampton Dies August 10

Martin White of Southampton died on August 10 at NYU Langone Hospital after a brave four-month battle with COVID 19. He was 84.

He was the owner-manager of the famous Village Latch Inn Hotel for over 40 years, a Hampton Destination Resort. He lived in Manhattan and Key West, but his real home was in Southampton. He just completed designing and building his dream get-away house on Big Fresh Pond. It gave him so much pleasure.

Larger than life, according to his family, Mr. White was kind, generous, witty, and creative. He was always ready for a new adventure. He was a talented artist, a member of the Southampton Artist Association, celebrated the female form with hundreds of sketches and life-drawings in every medium. He was a mentor to young artists, encouraged them with a positive spirit and was passionate about his art, his family said.

Mr. White was a world traveler from New Guinnea to the Antarctic. A happy guy who loved life, according to his family, who noted that he couldn’t believe his good luck. “It doesn’t get any better than this,” he would say. He marched to his own drum and had a magical personality, they said.

He was a strong life force who touched many people’s lives, his family recalled, and a great raconteur who enjoyed telling stories of his U.S. Army days at the Berlin Wall and of his commercial photography and filmmaking career as a lighting designer.

Mr. White is survived by his wife Marta of 53 years; and step-daughter Trish Hurley. He is also survived by his nephews and nieces, Josh, David and Jessica White and Ezra Sherman; his in-laws, Alice White, Ben and Janet Sherman; his cousins, Gene, Richey and Lois Holtzman; and many friends.