Warren Boyd Wexler was “the postcard guy.” Every Fire Island community had at least one store or gift shop that stocked its shelves with his engaging images of white-tailed deer and other wildlife found on Fire Island. His work did not go unnoticed by me; the first time I made contact with him was strictly a professional matter. The year was 1996, and I was curating a natural history exhibition at the Ocean Beach Historical Society.
“Something is missing,” I thought to myself, staring at the wall. The exhibition lacked an anchor. I cold-called him and introduced myself on the telephone. We both started to giggle. That day, I took a Water Taxi to his oceanfront home in Cherry Grove. He was one of the handsomest men I ever saw: piercing dark eyes and a mane of thick, shiny black hair that he kept tied in a ponytail. He agreed to display several large-scale framed images; the exhibit finally had its anchor.
I was surprised to see the low-tech camera he used. Other photographers, burdened by equipment, fumed at his images because all Warren needed was his keen eye, and he often snapped the picture with a bright smile on his face. Warren had been a screenwriter with the Royal Canadian Television Network, and he knew how to tell a good story without saying a word.
Over time, our friendship evolved. Thanks to Warren’s introduction, I had the pleasure of interviewing rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker while reporting for Fire Island Tide. In 2011, Warren offered constructive advice when I was working on my first book. Then, in 2019, when the public television program Island Without Cars approached Fire Island News about sourcing suitable interview candidates, I introduced them to Warren, and he was prominently featured in that installment of the PBS documentary series. Warren also contributed to Fire Island News, sharing a wonderful essay about his own experience in gay rights activism. We are fortunate to have it live in our online archives.
A few months after my husband died in 2022, Warren sat with me in his garden and counseled me for hours on a beautiful June day. I will always be grateful to him for that gift. The last time we saw each other was on Christmas Day in 2023. We had dinner at my house in Ocean Beach, where I served shepherd’s pie and turnips.
I learned of his passing on Election Day. His husband Dick Webster, called me and tearfully said Warren had taken ill in the spring, shortly after his 80th birthday. Warren’s work is featured in numerous museum collections across the country. A memorial service was held for Warren on May 11, and an outdoor walking tour exhibition in his honor was on display in Cherry Grove through the beginning of June 1 as the community he called home for decades bid him a fond farewell.
