Gary W. Guertin

Gary W. Guertin, 70, passed away the morning of March 31 due to complications arising from a heart attack and stroke he suffered in January 2022. He was born in Attleboro, MA on October 24, 1951, to Gerard J “Jerry” and Therese V. “Terry (Forget) Guertin.

Gary played baseball as a youth and ran track for his high school (Attleboro High School). He began working in the hospitality industry in his teens and spent as much as time as possible surfing on the shores of Cape Cod.

Gary loved the ocean and worked for the Cape Cod National Seashore as a lifeguard for numerous summers. On May 14, 1974, Gary received a National Certificate of Merit from The American Red Cross for “Selfless and Humane Action,” taken on August 31, 1973, when he and four other lifeguards rescued and gave artificial respiration to 30 near drowning victims, saving their lives.

While attending Bridgewater State University, Gary and his best friend Lee Anderson also worked as EMTs. After graduating from Bridgewater in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts, Earth Science/Education, the allure of warmer water beckoned Gary to the Treasure Coast.

Gary attended the Florida Institute of Technology in Jensen Beach and was trained as an Underwater Emergency Medical Technician. He also received his Commercial Shallow Water Diver and SCUBA Certification from the Diver’s Training Academy in Fort Pierce, Fla.

After using his teaching degree and specialized underwater certifications, he found his way back into the hospitality industry in 1977 when he was hired by Indian River Plantation Resort as operations/beverage manager. In 1979 he joined the Burt Reynolds Dinner Theatre as general manager. In 1982, Huckleberry’s hired Gary as general manager.

In 1989, Gary joined the Florida Oceanographic Society. He was responsible for public relations and membership development, which gave him the opportunity to continue to share his love of the ocean and coastal environments .

Then in 1993, Gary was hired as the general manager of Pirates Cove Resort and Marina, where he served until 2005. During his tenure at Pirates, Gary initiated the resort’s annual Sailfish Classic. He also established strong ties with the Bahamas Tourism Office and Pirates Cove Resort and Marina served as a departure location for the Bahamas Ministries annual boating flings. During this period, Gary also served as chair of the Martin County Tourism Development Council, and the Travel and Tourism Academy at Martin County High School.

In 2005, Gary and his wife Misti, were hired by Elite Island Resorts as Island Managers for Palm Island Resort in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. When Gary and Misti returned to the states, Gary joined Harborage Yacht Club and Marina as general manager. During his tenure at Harborage, Gary created and produced the popular weekly “Talkin’ Tourism” radio talk show, sometimes taking the show to remote locations in the Bahamas.

In 2010, Gary and Misti became the publishers of the Bahamas edition of Coastal Angler Magazine, followed by the Treasure Coast edition.

Gary served on numerous community, civic and trade organizations throughout his 45 years on the Treasure Coast including Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Martin County, United Way of Martin County, YMCA, Florida Oceanographic Society, Stuart Sailfish Club, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Stuart/Martin County Chamber of Commerce, Port Salerno Neighborhood Advisory Committee, Martin County Film and Television Commission, Martin County Business Development Board, Martin County Health Facilities Authority, Florida Restaurant Association, and the March of Dimes.

Gary is survived by his wife Misti of nearly 33 years, his daughter Heather Oblaczynski, mother Terry V. Guertin and sister Diane L. Guertin.

He was predeceased by his father Gerard J. “Jerry” Guertin.

A “Toast to Gary” is planned for May 15, 2022 at Pirates Cove Resort and Marina, 4307 SE Bayview Street, Stuart, Fla, 2-6 p.m. Please come share your memories and stories of Gary with us. More details available on Facebook

In lieu of flowers, donations in loving memory of Gary can be made to the Humane Society of Grand Bahama (HSGB) (can be made online via their longtime U.S. 501(c)3 partner at www.thekohnfoundation.org/donate.php or email [email protected] for wire instructions or mailing address for checks) or Indian RiverKeeper (www.theindianriverkeeper.org).