Home Obituaries Martin Gitlin, 85

Martin Gitlin, 85

Martin “Marty” Gitlin, 85, died at home in Southold on October 8, 2017, with his wife Rita Duran and his son Jonathan by his side.

Born in Brooklyn, the youngest of four children, he grew up with his sisters Lillian and Jane and his brother Walter and many cousins and relatives. His parents Paul and Clara raised their young son with the help of his brother and sisters.

Marty attended Brooklyn College where he edited the school newspaper, and moved on to become a copyboy and then a reporter for the Journal American. He went on to an illustrious career in public relations where he wrote on many subjects for a wide variety of clients.

He dearly loved his wife Rita (nee Holmes) and looked forward to his son Jonathan’s calls to discuss baseball and the news. He loved watching Mets baseball games, cooking, reading novels and the daily New York Times. He and Rita enjoyed their time together, traveling to the Caribbean and Europe where they made many friends and memories.

A gathering of family and friends will be held at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold on Saturday, Oct. 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. A funeral service will be held at the funeral home on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 12 noon, followed by burial at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Southold and a remembrance meal at Touch of Venice in Cutchogue.

Marty Gitlin was a peaceful, loving man, his family said in a statement. He loved his wife and son and his cats, the youngest of whom, Dickens, would climb up on his lap and kiss him on the lips every evening. Marty Gitlin left a legacy of love.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 36 years, Rita, his son Jonathan and daughter-in-law Marie Haggberg, his sister Jane Bass, his brother Walter and sister-in-law Helga.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, Utah 84741 would be appreciated.

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Denise Civiletti
Denise is a veteran local reporter and editor, an attorney and former Riverhead Town councilwoman. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including a “writer of the year” award from the N.Y. Press Association in 2015. She is a founder, owner and co-publisher of this website.