Jeffrey S. Leland, 56, died unexpectedly at his home in Vineyard Haven on Sunday, May 27, 2018.

Jeff was born on July 22, 1961 in Brockton to Leslie H. Leland and Donna R. (Whiting) Tankard. They moved to Martha’s Vineyard in July 1963, when he was 2 years old, and lived on Skiff Avenue in Vineyard Haven. He was a happy, delightful young boy who loved adventure and being outdoors. During his childhood, he loved putting together model airplanes, climbing trees,

and hunting around in the woods for any creatures of nature. He loved fishing and being out on the water from the time he was quite young.

He attended the Tisbury School, and graduated from MVRHS in 1979, and soon began working as a carpenter for Doyle Construction on Lambert’s Cove Road in West Tisbury. He married Colleen V. McLaughlin in January 1986, and they had two beautiful daughters, Megan (Leland) Giordano in 1987, and Emmie Leland in 2002.

They moved off the Island to Wrentham in 1989, where he bought a home on Lake Archer. He went to work for BeeBe Insulation, where he wrapped pipes on industrial buildings all throughout the greater Boston area.

The family moved back to the Vineyard in 1997, and lived in West Tisbury. Jeff started his own pipe insulation business, and also went back to work with

Doyle Construction, working as a carpenter and foreman. Jeff truly was a master carpenter and a jack of all trades.

Some of the many things he loved to do was tend his garden, bow hunting with his black Lab, Scout, and fishing on his boat. He was a real outdoorsman. He was a great dad; he loved his girls, and had a heart of gold. He was just recently blessed with a granddaughter, Demi H. Giordano, whom he adored; he wanted her to call him “Pappy.”

He is survived by his wife Colleen (McLaughlin) Leland; his daughters, Megan S. Giordano and Emmie G. Leland; his granddaughter, Demi H. Giordano; his father, Leslie H. Leland, and stepmother, Susan Leland; his mother Donna R.(Whiting) Tankard and his stepfather, Robert Tankard; his brothers Wayne and Greg Leland, and sisters Rachel Diaz and Nicole Croak, and stepbrother Ben Doherty, as well as several nieces and nephews.

There will be a memorial celebration held for Jeff at the P.A. Club in Oak Bluffs this Saturday, June 9, from 1 pm to 3 pm. This will be an informal gathering, open to anyone who knew Jeff or his family to come by and share a few words about special thoughts and memories that you might have had with Jeff. Refreshments will be served.

In lieu of flowers or charitable donations, an educational fund has been set up in Jeff’s memory for his daughter’s education. If you would like to send a gift, please mail it to Emmie G. Leland Educational Fund, c/o Megan Giordano, P.O. Box 529, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.