Guppie is gone....

[DarkSkies]

Some of you may know Guppie, some may never have heard of her.
Her real name was Mary Ann.

If you fished Island Beach State Park with any frequency, you will know who I'm talking about.

She and her husband, Don, ran a website called
www.guppiesfishing.com (http://www.guppiesfishing.com)

They were a breath of fresh air when it came to the IBSP fishing scene, IMO never ones to hype fishing conditions, or to bring people down there just so a tackle shop owner could sell more clams. They told it like it was, and enjoyed many days of fishing together. They both loved fishing, and did it every chance they could. :fishing:

Guppie lost her sister around June 17 after a long illness. She also had some recurring health issues as well.

This morning her husband Don informed people that she passed away. I knew them, but only saw them infrequently. I know some of you here might have known them. As info develops, feel free to post funeral and visiting info up.

Thanks people.

[DarkSkies]

Here's something I posted on their site as a remembrance. I thought some people here might like to see it.....




I will miss you, Guppy.
Don, I first met you guys at a food fling. You seemed like you were both characters. :eek: :cool:

I ran into one or another of you infrequently after that, but always appreciated your dedication to fishing, and telling the truth, whether people were happy with it or not. :clapping:

I remember a few times seeing you hanging with Ron Muccie, another notable icon in the NJ surf fishing scene. I gather that you were friends. In fact, it was usually through Guppie (Mary Ann) that I heard the news of who was sick, who had died, and who was in the hospital.

One of the notices I remember was when Mary Ann notified people that Ron Muccie was in the hospital. I remember thinking to myself at that point..... here is a person who puts others before herself, who tries to keep the communication in the fishing community going, and is altogether a positive person, no matter what obstacles life throws at her. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

And life did throw many obstacles at Guppie and Don. The death of her sister, around June 17, must have been a devastating blow to all the families and friends involved. Don has had his share of health issues as well.

And yet, somehow Guppie/ Mary Ann managed to push on. I don't know the circumstances of her passing, but in the short time I knew her I never felt her to be a complainer or negative person.

I always thought of her as a trooper, and someone who was taught from childhood to put her best foot forward.

She brightened the fishing community with her positive, honest, and down to earth reports. She gave people who lived far away a choice of whether they should go fishing or not. She based her reports on honesty, not whether the tackle shop had a deadline on getting rid of a few dozen extra clams in a hurry.

In these days of pro-fishermen, salt-water stars, newly minted "experts", Guppie represented to me, a person who couldn't be "bought". She didn't have endorsements, or tackle she was trying to hawk as being the only thing to catch the fish. She lived her life and treated others how she wanted to be treated. She couldn't be bought, wasn't for sale. What you saw was what you got.
You would be hard pressed to find a more honest person, a woman who fished as much as she could, loved to get out there when her health permitted, and told the truth.

To me, she was a breath of fresh air amidst a new generation of hype and selfishness.

I knew a little about her originally meeting and subsequent marrying her husband Don, who is an avid fisherman in his own right.

Some day, when Don feels up to it, I would like to hear more about the story of how they met.

Don and Guppie, on the beach together, hot days, cold days, rainy days, and good days. Catching when the fishing was good, and driving around and scouting when the fishing was not so good. :lookhappy: :fishing:





Either way Don, you were lucky God granted you a partner who loved to fish as much as you do. I'm glad to know that you two saw many beautiful sunsets and sunrises together on the beach.

I am so sorry that she's gone now. I offer my sincerest condolences. I know life will not be the same without her. I hope somehow you manage to find a way to get through this.

From what I remember about Mary Ann, she will always be looking down on you, wherever you are. :thumbsup:

I hope the words I wrote can provide some comfort. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the family and friends.
Rich

[finchaser]

May she RIP:(

[fishinmission78]

I didn't want to believe this until I checked it on her site. That's a bummer. RIP Guppie.

[vpass]

RIP Guppie

[surfstix1963]

RIP Guppie.

[rip316]

Rip.

[clamchucker]

That is terrible news, quite a loss for the IBSP community. I heard from a few folks on the beach this morning.
Dark, Guppie did have some health problems. You didn't hear many complaints about it though. This goes to show the folks out there that we never know what tomorrow will bring. Don't take people for granted. You may not have a chance to say goodbye to them. Condolences to Don.

[jigfreak]

That is terrible news, quite a loss for the IBSP community.

What clamchucker said. Thoughts and prayers, RIP.

[ledhead36]

Rip.

[cardoc765]

i too met her a couple time while fishing IBSP. She was a great person. She will be missed in the fishing community. Here are details for the viewing.

The viewing for Mary Ann will be held from 6pm till 9pm Thursday July 8 at the Silverton Funeral Home on the corner of Hooper Ave. and Church Rd. Toms River.

From the north take Hooper Ave. to Church Rd. and make the jug handle turn to cross Hooper. There is an Exxon station on the corner and the funeral home is right behind it. From the south take Brick Blvd. to Church Rd. and make a right at the Exxon.

[GeoffT]

Wow, that sucks. I met her a few years ago at the North Jetty. I was on the jetty and she was fishing the pocket at the base with her hubby. I remember she caught a 20lber on clams that night and she was so excited about it when we came over to take a look. Her enthusiasm left a good impression on me.

May she RIP. :(

[crosseyedbass]

This is a true loss to her family and the fishing community. I visited her site frequently and learned alot from there. May she RIP.

[DarkSkies]

I went to the service last night, saw Don and some of her family.

It was a nice service. One of the things I liked about it was that around 8:00 they had a prayer service. After that, the priest/minister, knowing that a lot of people knew her from fishing, asked anyone in the room to speak up and share some stories about her.

I thought that was a nice touch, some interesting stories were shared.

Another thing I liked was there was this cool handkerchief draped over the front of the casket. It had pics of dolphins and a pretty neat ocean theme. I didn't ask, but maybe it was Mary Ann's or came from someone close to her. It kind of symbolized her life as being close to and about water, and fishing.

She was much more than that, of course. She loved her grandkids, and they all had great times together. Don told me they had all been out at the beach that morning fishing. Awesome. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

I'm sure she's looking down on them all, and hope that the stories they still relate can continue to provide comfort.

RIP, Mary Ann. Condolences to all...

[plugcrazy]

rip, prayers for the family.

[DarkSkies]

I realized that this July 4 it will be 3 years since she has passed.
RIP Mary Ann....




Best of Health to you, Don.....:HappyWave: