Paid Notice: The sun set on John Buchbinder on July 23, 2026. In his 73 short years, he lived a very full life.
John was born December 31, 1952, in Willimantic, Connecticut. He attended Vassar College in the first coeducational class, studied art in Florence, Italy; and received an MFA in photography from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. After graduating, he spent much of his adult life in Brooklyn, where he began his career as a professional photographer. Eventually, he became a general contractor, completing renovations in all five boroughs.
In 2016, he retired to East Hampton full-time and loved living here. John moved through the world slowly, quietly observing the beauty
that surrounded him and sharing what he saw with his spectacular photography. John was a passionate and a lifelong student of history, birding, sailing, boat building, wine, travel, nature, music, and chocolate. His sailboat, Ariela, was a source of joy for John and he loved sharing beautiful times on the water with his family and friends. He approached life with curiosity and wonder, and a deep appreciation for the world around him.
John is survived by his wife, Nikki; his daughters, Inga and Siggy; his son-in-law, Andrew; his bother-in-law Tighe and sisters-in-law Patty and Wendy. He adored being a father and took pride watching his girls grow, teaching them how to explore the world and to be good people. He and Nikki shared a deep love and absolutely delighted in each other. They enjoyed traveling, entertaining, laughing, dancing and experiencing life together.
John was a wonderful friend and many sought his wisdom, help with projects and loved his droll sense of humor. He was both serious and deliciously silly.
In 2020, John was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease but continued to live a full life. The Speech Pathology team at Stonybrook Southampton Hospital recognized that John’s visual perception skills were strengths which helped trigger his memory. They encouraged him to use his iphone to visually document his day to day life experiences and keep his photos in journals called “John’s Memory Book”. Those books were featured in the “Look at the Book” exhibit at the Southampton Arts Center in 2024.
John will be deeply missed by the many people who dearly loved this incredible man.
