logo logo logo logo

Obituaries / Southampton Press / 2073713

Paul Gertz of Hampton Bays Dies January 22

icon 1 Photo
Paul Gertz

Paul Gertz

authorStaff Writer on Jan 27, 2023

Paul Gertz of Hampton Bays died on January 22. He was 97.

He was born in Brooklyn on October 25, 1925, to Louis and Freida Gertz, he was a caring husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend, his family said.

In addition to decades of working as an independent Brooklyn real estate agent, his diverse pursuits ranged over time to include wandering the SoHo art scene, acting on off-off-Broadway, adventurous dining, practicing bagpipes and recorder, basking in summer beach days, and perfecting his chopped salad or “guac-a-mole.”

He was a World War II veteran, a post-war bohemian, stalwart Democratic voter, and everyman intellectual who loved reading and talking about news, history, politics, Jewish thought and Western philosophy. “You gotta understand …” he would say. Friends and family miss him deeply, his family said.

He is survived by Anne, his beloved wife of 38 years; children Emily, Lucy and Matt and their spouses; and grandchildren Zion, Sage and Josia. He was predeceased by his first wife, Valeria, in 1971.

Memorial donations can be made to the Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org) and the American Civil Liberties Union (aclu.org).

You May Also Like:

Gold Stars and Dunce Caps

⭐️ : To Cami Hatch, for reminding everyone why learning to swim and lifeguard training are important. The East Hampton graduate, now a University of Tennessee student, has been studying in Italy and was visiting Malta recently when she heard a fellow beachgoer whistling. “That whistle unlocked a new mode in my brain. For lifeguards, when you hear a whistle it means, ‘Heads up — get ready to go,’ as Big John and Johnny Ryan have instilled in us over the years,” she said, shouting out her lifeguard instructors. She dove in and saved a foundering Englishman, who was in ... 26 Nov 2025 by Editorial Board

Monday Traffic Snarls Implode Hopes for Improvements Along CR39

Traffic on Monday night in the Southampton region was snarled to an extent that, while ... by Michael Wright

New Shinnecock Curriculum Begins in Southampton Elementary Classrooms

Standing at the podium at a recent Southampton Board of Education meeting, ELA teacher Nature ... by Michelle Trauring

Yacht Hampton 'Boating Club' in Noyac Comes to Planning Board

The owner of a Noyac marina that has served as a hub for boat charters, ... by Michael Wright

'Bled by Our Side'

The combination of the new Ken Burns documentary on the American Revolution and the rosy image of the first Thanksgiving led me to recall a 1778 event that exemplifies the true relationship between the white settlers and the Indigenous population. And that relationship spread west as the settlers did. During the war, the Stockbridge Mohicans, along with the Oneida, Tuscarora and a handful of other Indigenous nations, allied with the American colonists in their struggle for independence from Britain. Many of these communities hoped that their military support would ensure recognition of their sovereignty and protection of their lands. Instead, ... by Tom Clavin

Another Chance

Will Governor Kathy Hochul sign, or again veto, a bill to protect horseshoe crabs that again passed by large majorities in the State Legislature earlier this year? Hochul vetoed the same bill last year. She claimed then that the Horseshoe Crab Protection Act was “well intentioned,” but their management should best be left with the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. She said the DEC has “significant rules and regulations regarding commercial and recreational fishing in the state.” It currently has an annual quota of 150,000 horseshoe crabs that can be taken. Environmentalists have been actively calling on Hochul to sign ... by Karl Grossman

Dispensary Charlie Fox Opens, Again, This Time With Town Approval

The cannabis dispensary Charlie Fox reopened for business on Monday, this time with the official ... 25 Nov 2025 by Michael Wright

Immigration Enforcement Sweep in Hampton Bays Causes Panic Among Undocumented Workers

For Erik, the morning of Wednesday, November 5, started out like many others in the ... by Michael Wright

Judge Clears Shinnecock of Contempt Charge but Orders Sunrise Highway Billboards Turned Off; Nation Says It Will Not Comply

A Suffolk County judge has cleared the Shinnecock Nation Board of Trustees of contempt of ... by Michael Wright

Downtown Development and Revitalization, ICE Sweeps and More Discussed at Express Sessions in Hampton Bays.

Hampton Bays residents, business owners, and others with a stake in the well-being and future ... by Cailin Riley