Gregory Charles Gundling, known to all as Greg and to a select few as Dick, died at home in Provincetown on Nov. 2, 2022. “He died skinny and young,” said his sister, Kimma Stark, “just the way he wanted.” The cause has yet to be determined, she said. He was 48.
The son of Harry and Lynda Gundling, Greg was born on Nov. 26, 1973, in Englewood, N.J. and grew up in Norwood, graduating from Northern Valley High School in Old Tappan. After taking some college classes, he worked in marketing with Elgin Staffing in Cresskill, N.J.
Greg “was out as a young man,” Kimma said, “and that was very brave, especially in suburban New Jersey in the 1980s.” He was not shy, she added, “but always very dramatic.”
He loved shopping in New York City and was into music and classic films. While he was a lover of animals, when he brought home strays they were “stray people,” Kimma said.
After Greg met William Wier Jr., they were inseparable and soon married. Will was from Boston and introduced Greg to Provincetown. As it was with Will, so it was with Provincetown — love at first sight.
Every summer until Will’s death from cancer in 2019, they would vacation with their cat in Provincetown. Greg, his friends suspect, loved his cats Henry (deceased), Oliver, and Peety more than he did most people. As a couple, Greg and Will enjoyed riding bikes to Race Point and Herring Cove, where Greg would work hard on his tan.
After Will died, Greg relocated to Provincetown. “He lived to the extreme,” Kimma said. “He did a wicked impersonation of Cher, and although he aspired to perform on stage, he never had the opportunity.”
When not at the beach, Greg immersed himself in stories through old movies, especially those starring Bette Davis. He loved dining out about town, dressed impeccably, and would often meet friends at Tin Pan Alley.
To his friends, Greg was larger than life. His hundreds of shoes cannot be filled. He is missed by many whose lives he touched through love, friendship, or his sharp wit. He loved fiercely and deeply.
Greg is survived by his father, Harry Gundling of Hackensack, N.J., and his sister, Kimma Stark of Williamstown. He was predeceased by his mother, Lynda, and his spouse, William Weir Jr.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Greg’s memory to the Carrie A Seaman Animal Shelter in Provincetown.
