Robert D. Gregor

Robert David Gregor (Bobby/Buddha) of Hampton Bays passed away on September 7th at the age of 77. He was born on November 27, 1944, in Southampton Hospital, to Shirley Downs and Alexander David Gregor. He was raised in Hampton Bays with his siblings Patrick, Shirel Clemenz, Suzanne Friend, Georgianne Collins, Patricia Allen, Jeffrey, and Alexander.

Bobby graduated from Hampton Bays High School at 17, and with parental consent, enlisted with the U.S. Navy in July 1962, serving with Patrol Squadron twenty-three until 1968. After honorably serving his country, he returned home and started a family. He worked for The Grumman defense company and North Sea Well Drilling. Influenced by his stepfather, Fred G. Wouters Jr., and many of his uncles, he served his community for more than a decade as a volunteer firefighter with the Hampton Bays Fire Department.

Buddha, so named by his dearest friends, had an innate love for the sea. For several seasons, during the heyday of local fishing tournaments, he would skipper private recreational fishing boats. It wasn’t until his dream of owning/captaining his own vessel came to fruition with the commercial FV Bay of Isles, Shinnecock NY that he found his life’s work. He was at his happiest on the water and treasured his fishing family. He felt strongly about the value and significance of local commercial fishing, so much so, that he was cast in the 2012 documentary Salt of the Sea, a story of groundfishing in New England: history, politics, and corruption.

Bobby is survived by his wife Kathleen (McKenna), children Brianne, Kimberly (Patrick) Ottati, and Shawn (Tabithaann), grandchildren Elizabeth and Christian Ottati, great-granddaughter Margaret Ottati, siblings and several nieces and nephews.

He is predeceased by his first wife Elizabeth Brown Gregor, son Robert David Jr., parents Shirley and Fred Wouters Jr., and Lois (nee Bangston) and Alexander Gregor, sister Georgianna and brothers-in-law Kevin Clemenz, Robert Friend, Richard Allen Jr., and Robert Collins.

In celebration of his life, the family has planned a burial at sea for early fall.

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