George Balco

George Balco died on April 10, 2022, at his home on Martha’s Vineyard, of cancer. 

George grew up in Connecticut, served in the U.S. Army as part of forces patrolling the East German border at the height of the Cold War in 1961–63, and subsequently spent the majority of his career as a financial analyst and fund manager at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York. 

He moved to Martha’s Vineyard in 1997, and spent the next 25 years deeply engaged in local government and public service on the Island, having served in at least 12 (we are still counting) elected and appointed positions on town committees, advisory boards, and boards of trustees. Of particular note to Island visitors is that the builders’ plaque on the MV Woods Hole bears his name as the longtime Tisbury representative to the Steamship Authority’s Port Council. 

He is survived by son Greg, daughter Catharine (“Cat”), and grandchildren Max, Nick, Broc, and Will. 

Visiting hours in Chapman Funerals, Edgartown Road in Oak Bluffs, will be held on Friday, April 22, from 5 to 7 pm.

His funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Augustine’s Church, on Franklin Street in Vineyard Haven, on Saturday, April 23, at 11 am. Burial will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery, State Road in Vineyard Haven, with military honors provided by the veterans of Martha’s Vineyard. A reception at the West Chop Club will take place at 12:30 pm.