John William Guastavino

With deep sorrow, we share that John William Guastavino passed away at home on February 10, 2025 at the age of 65 surrounded by family and overlooking the ocean. 

He will be lovingly missed by his three children, Helena Guastavino, John Guastavino, and Claresa Guastavino, his beloved grandson, Rohan Guastavino, his older brother, Rafael Joseph Guastavino V, his younger sister, Elizabeth G Wilk, her husband Tom and children Maria and Julia. However, John did survive both of his parents, Rafael and Helen Guastavino. 

Born on April 26, 1959 in Chestertown, Maryland, John grew up on a large farm in Rock Hall, MD where his love for nature began. From an early age, he was an avid fisherman and hunter always enjoying the great outdoors along the Chesapeake and Eastern Shore. That passion never faded; it only grew stronger, shaping the course of his life and career.

After graduating from Washington College with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1981, where he was a 3-year letterman in Varsity Baseball, John moved to the Florida Keys where he found his true home on the water and quickly became a well-known and well-loved figure in the community. He began overseeing the food and beverage services at Sheraton hotel in Key Largo where he met and married the mother of his three kids, Marian, who he helped land an unofficial world record bonefish. Later he landed another hotel F&B position at Cheeca Lodge in Islamorada, but the Florida bay was always calling. 

In September of 1990, John secured a USCG Captain's license to pursue his passion of guiding people through the backcountry and Everglades; sharing the beauty of the natural world that he loved so much. His appreciation for the environment ran deep, extending beyond the waters he fished to the skies, tides, and animals he observed with wonder and respect. But John wasn’t just a guide—he was a storyteller, a teacher, a friend. An extrovert at heart, and because of that his life was rich with adventure and connection. He thrived on meaningful conversations about history, about life, about the things that stirred his soul. He found joy in sharing knowledge, learning, love, laughter, fishing tales, and of course, a few cold ones. 

Throughout his life, John formed deep, unbreakable bonds with friends who felt his pure heart... those connections went beyond friendship and defied words. 

His legacy lives on in the lessons he passed down, in the love for fishing and nature he instilled in his children, and in the countless lives he touched along the way. May we all carry forward his love for the natural world, his curiosity, and his deep graitude for life’s simple joys.

May the sun always shine for you, tight lines, bye for now. 

Each year, John looked forward to the Redbone Tournament, a cause he felt truly connected to. In his honor, the family asks that donations be made in his memory to Redbone.org