Gary Persan

Gary Persan

Gary Persan, who was a highly regarded commercial fisherman in Montauk, died on October 19 in Melbourne, Florida, after injuring his head in a fall at home, his family said. He was 63.

Mr. Persan had long suffered from the effects of chronic Lyme disease, which in recent years left him disabled. According to a brother, Robert Persan of Sag Harbor, Mr. Persan was the first Long Islander to be diagnosed with the tick-borne condition by doctors at Stony Brook University Medical Center during the 1970s.

Born in Massapequa to Edgar Persan and Betty Sanders Persan, who both predeceased him, Mr. Persan was educated in local schools and began to visit Montauk, where his family had a summer home, in the 1960s.

“Gary started fishing in Montauk in the early ’70s,” Bob Persan said. “He started on sportfishing boats, fishing for sharks, before moving on to pin hooking. He was ‘high hook’ in the stripped bass commercial fishing and also well known in the commercial tuna industry, spending days off in the Canyons” on his boat “Stay Away.”

Faced with increasing competition and ever more restrictive regulations, Mr. Persan left Montauk with his wife, the former Mary Fagen, moving first to Key West, Florida, to fish the Tortugas and later settling in Melbourne Beach to fish the kingfish migrations.

“Gary loved fishing—and he was good at it,” Bob Persan said. “He also had a great sense of humor and was generous.”

Besides his wife and brother, Mr. Persan is survived by a son, Michael, of Melbourne, Florida, and another brother, Brian Persan of Montauk. He is also survived by five nieces and nephews, Karin Persan of Brooklyn, Ashley Persan of Salt Lake City, Ryan Persan of Montauk, Leah Persan-Boyle of East Hampton and John Persan of Montauk.

Mr. Persan was cremated. His family plans to hold a memorial service and spread his ashes in the rips off Montauk at a later date.