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I knew him from when I was a member of the Narragansett Pier club. After the article we kept in touch now and then over email - though I had not heard from him lately.
"Generous," is a wonderful word. I've heard from accomplished musicians that those who are truly great are also the most generous - I've found it to be true with many of the best fishermen also. Maybe its because they have nothing to prove, or maybe its because God is judicious in that he does not bestow that kind of talent to the selfish - I'm not sure.
As a sportsman, Andy was a very lucky man. He lived the kind of surfcaster's life we dream about and he was able to share that life with a fabled cast of characters at wonderful places in the best of times. Even in his seventies, he was still very enthusiastic about the sport, still fishing Block Island in the fall.
Not everyone would lend someone a helping hand or tell you where you should be looking, Andy would do that and make you feel like you were welcome. He had a rare welcoming manner which left you with the feeling that he wanted you to do well, to share in his love for the sport. In the end, people are not going to remember how many big fish you caught; they'll remember what kind of person you were, how you made them feel, and what kind of imprint you left on others. If you were fortunate enough to have known Andy Lemar, count yourself among the lucky.
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