Lloyd Niederlitz of Venice, Fla., and Oak Bluffs died May 26 at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital. He was 87.

Lloyd was born in Rochester, N.Y. on March 12, 1920. He spent his first seven years in Denver, Colo., before moving to New Jersey. He graduated from East Orange High School and then entered the Franklin School of Professional Arts in New York city.

He first came to the Vineyard in 1938 when his family - parents Marion and Joseph Niederlitz, brother Donald and sister Mimi - rented a cottage, one of the Three Bears off Alpine avenue in Oak Bluffs. His father came back in the fall and bought a house on Farm Pond at the corner of South Circuit and Katama avenues, and Lloyd missed only two summers since.

He joined the National Guard - the 7th Regiment - shortly after high school. He spent the next five years in the service mostly in the United States, shipping to the Philippines in the summer of 1945, arriving in Manila as the Japanese signed the peace treaty. He didn't get back to the mainland until early in 1946.

Lloyd married Florence Barnes in 1942 and they bought the old Island Laundry, or what remained of it after the hurricane of 1938. From then on Lloyd, Flo and their new son Kris spent part of their summers at the newly renovated cottage on Farm Pond, down the road from Marion and Joe.

After being discharged from the service as a first lieutenant, he went back to the Franklin School as a teacher. In 1948, he built a house in Park Ridge, N.J. A short time later, he left the school and set up a freelance art service which he continued until 1971.

Lloyd and Flo were divorced in 1956. He later married Mary Ridgway. Their son, Gilbert, was born in 1959 and daughter Lynn was born in 1960. The little two-bedroom cottage seemed too small, so in 1964 foundations were put in to add more rooms. Lloyd and Mary built the additions together.

In 1969, they moved to Venice, Fla. He joined the Venice Art League, exhibiting in several shows. He continued to stay on the Vineyard and won a ribbon at the agricultural fair. When Mary retired in 1984, they started to spend five months a year on the Vineyard.

Lloyd was an avid birder and enthusiastic vegetable gardener. His birding interest was initiated when house guests presented him with a pair of binoculars. He and Mary took many trips in their small recreational vehicle to birding hot spots around the country. His birding scope was always in the front window so he could check up on the Farm Pond wildlife.

Lloyd's son, Gil, began a backyard vegetable garden during several years of wintering at the cottage. Lloyd and Mary expanded the garden each summer. His friends and neighbors have shared in his bountiful harvests throughout the years in exchange for bluefish and blueberry pies.

He kept young and active by biking to Reliable Market, the post office and the beach for his daily swim. He is greatly missed by his family and everyone who knew him.

Survivors include his wife of 50 years, Mary; his sons, Kris of Parker, Colo. and Gilbert of Bisbee, Ariz.; his daughter, Lynn, of Gainesville, Fla.; his sister, Marion (Mimi) Momy of Yuma, Ariz.; his grandchildren, Geoffrey, Kimberly, Duncan, Zoe, Bhajan, Samuel, Luna and Juniper; and one great-grandaughter, Lilah.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Donations may be made in his memory to the Massachusetts Audubon Society at Felix Neck, P.O. Box 494, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs.