John Gordon Noakes, an award-winning advertising executive and a summer resident of Montauk, died on March 23 after having a stroke at a hospital in New Canaan, Conn. He was 86 and had been ill for five days.
His family said he will be remembered as a fantastic athlete, particularly as a golfer, but mostly as “an all-around great father and man” who was “always there for his family with love and understanding.”
He most recently lived in New Canaan but had been visiting Montauk — a place he truly loved, his family said — since the 1930s. His part-time home since the early 1960s was on Franklin Drive.
Mr. Noakes was born in New York City on Jan. 22, 1934, to Edward and Anselma Noakes, and grew up in Douglaston, Queens. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University and a master’s degree in business administration from New York University.
Mr. Noakes served in the Army, and, later, for 25 years, he held the position of executive vice president at the Ted Bates advertising agency. He had been in charge of an account for the electronics giant Panasonic and won multiple Clio Awards throughout his career.
In January of 1960, Mr. Noakes married Mary Ann Palmer. Their two children, Mariann Noakes of West Milford, N.J., and John G. Noakes III of Bethel, Conn., survive. His wife died in 2018. Mr. Noakes also leaves two sisters, Carol Robinson of Narragansett, R.I., and Jane Noakes of Manhattan, and one grandchild.
A private service for Mr. Noakes will be held at home in the future.
