Stephen Francis Castanho of Edgartown died at the Cleveland Clinic on Jan. 24, 2026, from complications after a bilateral lung transplant, which he received on April 18. He was 65 years old. His partner of 40 years, Christina Cook, was by his side during his recovery and when he passed.
Steve was born in July 1961 in Providence, R.I., the youngest child of Manuel and Martina Castanho. He grew up in the Mount Pleasant area of the city with his brother and two sisters. During his childhood, he was often in the company of his extended family at lively gatherings.
In 1979, he graduated from Our Lady of Providence High School. Soon after, Steve moved to Martha’s Vineyard, and worked in construction for his brother-in-law, Harold Chapdelaine. Steve briefly met Christina while building the John Stobart Gallery on North Summer Street in Edgartown. Their paths would cross again a year later, and they began dating.
In 1990, Steve joined Christina in the family business, the Christina Gallery in downtown Edgartown. Steve managed the frame shop and maintained the gallery’s website. They enjoyed working together and the daily interactions with the artists and clients.
Steve and Christina bought a modest home in Edgartown in 1996. When time allowed, they worked at renovating and adding on to their home. They liked working outdoors, enhancing the landscape, and establishing gardens that now feature an abundance of dahlias, much to Steve’s delight.
Steve loved to cook, and was often in the kitchen experimenting with a new recipe or making an old favorite. His talents extended to the backyard grill, too. When Steve was a teenager, he worked at Tommy’s, a neighborhood pizzeria. Later in life, everyone looked forward to Steve’s homemade pizzas, especially those he made on Christmas Eve. His favorite pizza was pepperoni!
Steve was a devoted New England sports fan, in particular, the Boston Celtics and the New England Patriots. He would be thrilled that the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl this year.
Steve and Christina often traveled to Europe. Their last trip was in early February 2020, when they spent two weeks in Florence, Italy. While there, they took a pastamaking class in the hills of Chianti, a memory they spoke of and wanted to do again when Steve felt up to making the trip.
They also looked forward to spending late winter vacations on Sanibel. Steve was happiest relaxing in a beach chair under an umbrella. He liked to say he was busy doing nothing while watching the rolling surf and the dolphins swim by. Somehow, he always found the time for a leisurely beach stroll, too.
Steve is survived by his partner in life and closest friend, Christina, and is remembered by his sisters, Martina Fortunato (Don) of East Lyme, Conn., and Joan Chapdelaine of Vineyard Haven; his brother, David Castanho (Marie) of Westerly, R.I.; and his in-laws, Marshall and Liz Cook of Vineyard Haven. His brothers-in-law, Matthew Cook and Stuart Anmuth of Philadelphia, Pa., and his sister-in-law, Catherine Cook-Holmes of West Palm Beach, Fla., also survive him. He leaves behind nieces, nephews, and many cousins.
Christina would like to express her heartfelt gratitude to Steve’s caregivers at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital while he was seeking treatment for the rare autoimmune disorder that affected his lungs, and at the Cleveland Clinic for the care they provided when the lung transplant became vital. Christina is grateful to their friends and gallery clients who kept Steve in their thoughts and prayers for the past nine months of his hard-fought transplant recovery. Words cannot express how Steve felt, knowing people were always asking and thinking of him.
Steve was a kind soul, and those close to him will feel his absence deeply. In Steve’s memory, make the time to sit under an umbrella or take a leisurely beach walk.
