San Pedro businessman Gregory Warne died last weekend, officials have disclosed.

Warne operated Armas Deportivas S.A. in Grandilla, San Pedro, where he made custom gun grips from Costa Rica hardwoods.

Warne was found dead in a downtown hotel Friday, but identification was not made until an autopsy was conducted at the Morgue Judicial in Heredia. The initial finding is that he suffered a heart attack, a morgue employee said. His family here had reported him missing. Warne, who was in his late 50s, was a well-known figure in downtown circles, and he would relax Friday evenings and discuss business at several bars frequented by North Americans.

Services were still incompleted Thursday, but they are expected to be today in Granadilla.

Warne had an Australian accent, but much of his career was spent in the gun business, first in North American and later here. He identified himself as the retired president of Kimber, the rifle and pistol manufacturer in Clackamas, Oregon.

It was while at the Kimber firm that he became interested in the hardwoods found in Costa Rica, mainly cocobolo. He used the wood in some Kimber products and later moved to Costa Rica and opened up his firm specializing in producing custom wood grips for pistols. His firm had contracts with major gun manufacturers, he said.

A manager at the San Pedro firm said employees there range from 20 to 22.

I also, have drank with him, various places in san jose, when I lived there last year. Sorry to hear this, he was a laid back cool guy.