SORRENTO – L. Gordon Hamersley Jr., 80, died July 28, 2008, in Ellsworth. He was born Jan. 14, 1928, in Manhattan, N.Y. His early years were spent in New York City, Tuxedo Park, and Southampton, N.Y. Mr. Hamersley graduated from St. Mark’s School, Southboro, Mass., and Harvard College. He was four years in the U.S. Marine Corps reserves, attended Babson Business School, the American Institute of Banking and New York and Columbia business schools. Mr. Hamersley began his business career with First National Bank of New York and changed after five years to the advertising and public relations agency Doremus and Company, where he became a vice president of financial accounts. In those years Mr. Hamersley lived in Irvington, N.Y., where he was an active tennis player, a member of Ardsley Curling Club and attended St. Barnabas Episcopal Church. In 1971 he moved his family to the mid-Hudson region, living in Red Hook, N.Y., and then Hyde Park, N.Y., and continuing in public relations until becoming a real estate broker in 1975. Moving to Southampton, N.Y., in 1980, he became a vice president of Douglas Elliman and manager of their Hampton’s real estate office, which later became part of Allan M. Schneider Associates, Inc., where Mr. Hamersley maintained his license in retirement. Mr. Hamersley was always interested in community planning and served on zoning and planning boards in Westchester and Dutchess Counties. He had been a consultant for Mid-Hudson Pattern for Progress and president of Hudson River Heritage, an organization concerned with preservation of historic river properties. Mr. Hamersley was also a trustee of the South Fork-Shelter Island chapter of The Nature Conservancy and a member of the Frenchman Bay Conservancy in Maine. In recent years he and his wife divided their time between homes in Southampton, N.Y., and Sorrento, where they had many associations through his wife’s family. Mr. Hamersley is survived by his wife, Madeline H. Hamersley; by the children of his first marriage to Elsey Van Kleeck of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., L. Gordon III of Sudbury, Mass., the Rev. Andrew C. of Westfield, N.J., Nicholas B. of Huntington, N.Y., and Catherine V.K. Helman of Wilton, Conn.; and also by his stepson, Joseph J. Mihok of Schenectady, N.Y. In addition, he leaves five grandchildren, Samantha and James Hooper-Hamersley, Sophie Hamersley and Jake and Timothy Helman; as well as his step-grandchildren, Justin, Travis and Stacie Mihok. Services will be private. Those wishing to do so may make memorial gifts to Down East Family YMCA, Ellsworth, ME 04605 or to the environmental or medical organization of their choice.
L. GORDON HAMERSLEY JR.
