In the print pages we usually devote to opinions, we’ve decided to celebrate the lives of Islanders who died in 2018. We have included those who lived for at least some time on Martha’s Vineyard, and for whom information about their life here (including their town) was available in their obituary, from which the following quotes have been taken. This week, we feature through May; next week, the rest of the year.
Though we might have known a lot about those who were in the news — Greg Mayhew harpooned swordfish, Ben Moore designed buildings, Peter Simon photographed rock stars — the obituaries of less well-known Islanders are filled with small but remarkable details you might not have known: One processed the fingerprints of Al Capone for the FBI, another built the podium upon which Richard Nixon stood when being sworn in as president in 1972. We were struck by how often the obituary writers zeroed in on tiny details — such as this one: “She was known to get laughing to the point of weakness, sometimes inappropriately” — that made a person come alive again.
The obituaries, taken together, underscore just how rich and varied one life well-lived on Martha’s Vineyard can be; they highlight what, at the end of someone’s life, their survivors considered the most important aspects of someone’s life were: walks in the woods, fishing with grandchildren, holding hands with a partner, making art, and the small kindnesses they showed each day.
Jan. 4: Robert F. Marie, 83, Oak Bluffs
His passion for fishing was a factor in the decision to move to Martha’s Vineyard, where he and Lois lived for 20 years. His favorite days on the Vineyard were when his children and grandchildren were visiting. Over the years he spent countless hours and days pursuing the next big bonito, albacore, or other fine specimen.
Jan. 4: Benjamin Bentley Hubert, 97, Aquinnah
Benjamin … was the grandson of a Georgia slave who with his family became the first African-American landowners in the area of Sparta, Ga., and who saw to it that all of his 12 children went on to college. Benjamin’s legacy is better expressed in the ways in which he lived a full life of character and integrity.
Jan. 5: David R. Madeiras, 75, Oak Bluffs
A lifelong resident of Oak Bluffs, [Dave] joined the U.S. Marine Corps … he visited Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America. In 1982 David started working for Phillips Hardware on Main Street in Oak Bluffs. After retirement he settled into his home … Asked if he ever took a trip off-Island, he’d reply, “I’ve traveled and seen most of the world, why would I want to go off-Island?”
Jan. 5: Roberta Bradford Hopkins Mendlowitz, 84
In 2000, Roberta moved back to Martha’s Vineyard and spent the next decade on the Island of her childhood … Bobbie’s passion for animals also became a focus, as she spent many hours writing to the newspapers, particularly around the issue of shark hunting on the Island.
Jan. 9: Penelope Homans Craig, 59, West Tisbury
Martha’s Vineyard was a vitally important place to her and [her] family … She went there from the time she was born, and herded her family, later in life … to Seven Gates Farm in West Tisbury, staying at the Bunkhouse, a house that was built by her grandfather, father, and his siblings. Penelope’s strong love for the Vineyard led her … to choose to live her last days surrounded by the scrubby neck oaks and the sounds of the waves, which had provided her peace her whole life.
Jan. 12: Jake S. Baird, 17, Oak Bluffs
Always fun-loving, honest, and moving at times to a different drumbeat, Jake thought independently, asked and pondered big questions, and was admirably unafraid of standing outside convention.
Jan. 13: Jeffie Claire DeFusco, 91
She worked for M.V. Land Bank as a property attendant, mostly at “her” beaches, Wilfords’ Pond and Tashmoo. She enjoyed seeing the return of the children each summer for five years … A caring, life-loving lady, Jeffie walked many a mile with a smile on her face and love in her heart.
Jan. 14: Bernard Whoolery, 82, Edgartown
Second only to his family, Bernie’s love was building boats. He constructed them in his basement from both fiberglass and wood, and during one enthusiastic effort, built a boat of such a berth his family was convinced he would never remove it.
Jan. 16: Amelia (Amy) Wales, 62
On the Vineyard [Amy] worked on a private equestrian property, training the horses, and caring for and loving all the animals, including ducks, birds, and a wonderful rescue donkey named Horton. She always wore a smile, and had time to talk and offer warmth and comfort to people.
Jan. 18: Sinclair Hamilton Hitchings, 84, Edgartown
Hired as keeper of prints by the Boston Public Library in 1961, he spent the next 44 years building the institution’s collections of European and American artists. He first visited relatives on Martha’s Vineyard while a student at Dartmouth College, and later became a longtime seasonal resident. Over the years, the holly tree–shaded back porch became his favorite place to read, and the dining room table a good place to write book introductions and texts on artists, and numerous handwritten letters in black pen to family, artists, and friends.
Jan. 20: Frances K. Woerpel, 88, Vineyard Haven
In the early 1970s [Fran and her husband Bob] purchased a modest home in Vineyard Haven. Fran and Bob could often be seen walking from their home to town to enjoy an afternoon coffee and cookie, or at Eastville Beach, catching up on their reading.
Jan. 23: Robert Charles Day, 90, West Tisbury
In 1995, he and Barbara, an artist who loved painting Island landscapes, became year-round residents of the Vineyard … In the Days’ summer Island years, Bob Day was frequently a substitute and assistant minister at Grace Church. Bob savored long strolls and dips at Stonewall Beach and Quitsa Pond. Evenings, when children and grandchildren were on the Island, he liked playing charades and board games. He enjoyed classical music, good books, and holding Barbara’s hand while enjoying a cup of tea.
Jan. 26: Robert Paris Riger, 57
As for his other great passions in life, Robert thrived in the freedom of Vineyard summers. At an early age he developed a love for bird watching with his older brother. He once rescued a trapped sparrowhawk and raised it under the supervision of Rob Bierregaard and Gus BenDavid … He was always at peace, launching a kayak from the Reading Room and blissfully paddling throughout the Edgartown Harbor.
Jan. 28: Gloria R. Darden, 90, Edgartown
After her husband passed in 1995 and her retirement, she moved to Martha’s Vineyard. She became an assistant teacher to the special needs department at Oak Bluffs School.
Jan. 29: Albert W. Allen III, 73, Vineyard Haven
Buddy grew up on Skiff Avenue, and lived there until he died. He worked as a fisherman, clamming and scalloping. When [his grandchildren] were little, he loved taking them to the Flying Horses, digging for quahogs, and feeding the ducks at the Lagoon.
Jan. 30: Robert G. White, 70, Edgartown
He was the owner of Edgartown Deli for more than 30 years.
Feb. 2: Herbert Alton Landers, 89, Oak Bluffs
He attended the Oak Bluffs School and worked ever since — being a fisherman, fishing and scalloping, a carpenter, and finally retired from the Oak Bluffs Highway Department. Herbert enjoyed fishing, scalloping, cooking, creative drawing, and oil painting.
Feb. 3: Kevin M. Hearn, 73, West Tisbury
On the water, his fishing friends knew him as the Makonikey Kid: the man, the myth, the legend. Robert Post chased him down to share a story for his book “Reading the Water.” On land, his knowledge of plants and devotion to gardening led him and his wife to start Heather Gardens, named for their daughter. Kevin was a lifelong New York sports fan, even brave enough to have a Yankees sticker on his red Chevy truck.
Feb. 4: Lorraine Shortell O’Callaghan, 96, Oak Bluffs
Lorraine was an active member of Assumption Church, and a lifelong Red Sox fan. For the past five years she resided at Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where she excelled at bingo and trivia contests.
Feb. 4: Martha Fleishman, 71, Chilmark
During her life, Martha walked a vibrant and colorful path. She had an extraordinary ability to fashion ideas into physical form. Through all the steps of the journey of Martha’s life, she remained a determined (some might even say stubborn) woman, moving through life with steady purpose and clarity of vision.
Feb. 5: Gregory Steven Williams, 72
He built his home on Martha’s Vineyard in 1994, and enjoyed all that the Island has to offer.
Feb. 5: Elsie “LC” Schraeder, 52
She traveled extensively, but Martha’s Vineyard was her home for over 25 years.
Feb. 6: Lori Mercier Dorsey, 55, Tisbury
What people remember best about Lori is her smile, her love of meeting new people, of music, of laughter, and having her nose in a book.
Feb. 7: Larry Levine, 84
Larry moved back to the Island in 1965 and opened the Village Fair, then the Home Fair in Edgartown. He ran these stores for 22 years, and helped his mother run the Vineyard Dry Goods store for another nine years. Larry was an avid bridge player, and began the Vineyard’s first duplicate bridge game.
Feb. 8: Paul J. Boniface, 63, Edgartown
One of his most memorable sailing adventures landed him on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard, a place he grew to love dearly. Paul was always happiest on the Vineyard. He had a huge heart and fun-loving personality that touched everyone he met.
Feb. 8: Vera Christine Pratt, 83, Chilmark
Vera was an accomplished painter, a world traveler, a philanthropist, and a Reiki practitioner. She will be remembered for her altruism, vivid Vineyard landscape paintings, bountiful gardens, and love of nature.
Feb. 9: Carol Ann (Spencer) Tilton, 81
An appreciation of the arts from an early age led her to become an accomplished dancer and poet. She graduated as valedictorian, class of 1954, at the Tisbury School, and married her high school sweetheart, David Tilton of Chilmark.
Feb. 9: Richard “Ricky” Gregory Haller, 69
He lived on Martha’s Vineyard for 25 years, working for Frank Brunelle in his store, the Wilson House Shops. Rick bought the store from Frank, and they remained partners and great friends for many years. Rick always enjoyed being on the water; windsurfing was his passion.
Feb. 12: Janet O. Bates, 58
Summer vacations were spent in Menemsha with her family. During Janet’s high school and college years, she was on the air as a local DJ.
Feb. 17: Jonathan (Jon) H. Harris, 75, West Tisbury
Over the decades, Jon was a farmer, a tutor, a healer, a mentor, a friend, a father, an extraordinary human, and always a teacher. He taught students about community and friendship, writing and long division, learning geography through the song “Route 66.” He was brilliant, funny, caring, insightful, and taught his students to never take life too seriously.
Feb. 18: Robert A. Iadicicco, 87, Oak Bluffs
While working at Otis he was given the opportunity to be transferred to the mysterious Island of Martha’s Vineyard. He became one of a small group of men who, along with MIT engineers, set up a radar installation atop Peaked Hill in Chilmark. He was an avid cribbage and bridge player, but mostly Bob loved his family, and his Philadelphia sports teams.
Feb. 19: Constance Shanor, 88, Edgartown and Chappaquiddick
She and Donald, her husband of 66 years, had been seasonal residents since 1973. In 1975 they built themselves a summer home on Chappaquiddick with their own hands.
Feb. 23: Doris Gaffney, 98, Oak Bluffs
She didn’t have a college degree, but had mastered the art of love. She found the good in everyone she met. Doris always believed she was surrounded by angels.
Feb. 23: Selden Kenneth Griffen III, 69
Enchanted by the Vineyard, years later Ken and his wife Donna bought a home there, and during his summer stays, Ken performed at many venues on the Island. Music was elemental in Ken’s life; his joy, his freedom, his means of expression.
Feb. 27: Fred Coleman Croft, 67
Martha’s Vineyard was a continual draw for Fred, and he spent several happy summers at his proclaimed “favorite job,” captaining the Menemsha bike ferry. A salty and memorable character, he regaled his passengers with stories, charm, and quick wit.
March 1: Gerald Kagan, 81, Vineyard Haven
Jerry was an ubiquitous figure all over town, whether on a moped or sitting on the dock or wharf, watching the boats move through the harbor. Usually, the first words out of someone’s mouth when Jerry’s name came up was, “He is a character.” And that is just how he liked it.
March 8: Lillian F. Fusco, 74, Edgartown
Lillian and Ray vacationed on the Vineyard with their children for many summers. Once her children were grown, they purchased a home on Jernegan Avenue in Edgartown, and Lillian returned to the workforce at Martha’s Vineyard Insurance Co.
March 8: Mary “Schatzie” Gibbon Clarke, 86, Vineyard Haven
John and Mary moved to Martha’s Vineyard and bought the Lothrop Merry House on Vineyard Haven Harbor. Here they welcomed bed and breakfast guests for the next 25 years. They also ran a sailboat charter business, first with the Friendship sloop Irene and then with their Alden ketch Laissez Faire.
March 11: Dorothy Ellen Krikorian, 68
All knew her to be full of laughter, with a penchant for chatting and a voracious appetite for reading.
March 14: Bettie Davis, 93, Vineyard Haven
Bettie taught math at the Tisbury School in Vineyard Haven from 1969 until her retirement. She also introduced computers to the Tisbury School.
March 16: Charleane Corrigan, 104, Oak Bluffs
She took great pride in her private room [at Windemere] and the flowers on her porch, and loved when she won at bingo. Her secret to a long and healthy life? One word: Coffee. She drank at least six cups a day.
March 17: Carrol Buress, 90, Vineyard Haven
Everyone who knew and loved Carroll understood that sailing was his great passion. Many of his friends and family remember the joy of drinking a rum and Coke, or a can of Tab, and eating potato chips on one his beloved sailboats and watching Carroll work his magic. (His children mostly remember having to clean and varnish the boats nonstop.)
March 17: Margaret Anne “Peggy” Goodale, 71, Vineyard Haven
For years she was a full-time mother of three, and active at Grace Church and in the community. She advocated for our hospital to allow natural childbirths and fathers to be allowed in the birthing room.
March 20: William Joseph Hall Jr., 89, Vineyard Haven
It was at the Marine Hospital in Vineyard Haven (future home of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum) where he fell in love with the medical secretary and local Island girl Joanne Finnegan. Bill deeply loved his Vineyard bride and Martha’s Vineyard all the days of his life. [He] believed very deeply that the universe is “infinite,” and once wrote to Stephen Hawking to tell him so. He always treasured the note that Professor Hawking sent back, respectfully letting him know that while he appreciated his note, he was in fact wrong!
March 21: Robert J. Francis, 79, Oak Bluffs
Bob was born in Oak Bluffs, graduated from the Martha’s Vineyard High School, then served Oak Bluffs as a firefighter and police officer; [he] worked as a plumber with business partner and lifelong best friend Steve Amaral. He also enjoyed fishing, hunting, watching sports, spending time with friends, walking the beach and through the State Forest, and spending time with his adopted cat, Sleepy.
March 25: Judith A. (Lapham) Norton, 80, Edgartown
After graduation Judy began her administrative career as a secretary for MIT Lincoln Lab. If you were to ask her which [project] she remembered the most, it was meeting and working for Wernher Von Braun on the ballistic missile project. Judy’s last job was in retail for the Fresh Produce store in downtown Edgartown, where she enjoyed interacting with everyone who came in.
March 26: Betty Jane Immelt, 93, Oak Bluffs
Betty happily made a home in Washington, and would eventually work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation there, handling thousands of fingerprints daily, proudly revealing having seen all of the fingerprints of the criminal celebrities of that day, including Al Capone. Having purchased a small “gingerbread cottage” in the Campgrounds from close family friends in 1955, she and Bob set about to make it a place for everyone to call home.
March 26: Tobias Morgan Shepard, 44
His mother, Maggie, instilled in him a deep love for cooking. Tobias was a highly sought-after, self-taught personal chef, with devoted clients all over Martha’s Vineyard and throughout the country.
March 27: Nancy Dunleavy Burton, 87, Oak Bluffs
She retired from teaching in 1996, and moved to Martha’s Vineyard to become best friend and teacher to her infant granddaughter, Annie. She loved her pet poodle, Katie, and had many lovely walks with her.
March 27: Matthew Paul Hubert, 56
Mat moved to the Vineyard in the early ’80s. He worked as a drywaller for most of his life. He loved sailing, the Grateful Dead, and making jewelry and walking sticks.
March 27: Angela H. (Brady) Burke, 87
[Angela] had her own store, the Vermont Shop, for 18 years. During that time, she was invited to join the local Rotary as one of its first women, and also launched and managed the Christmas in Edgartown annual celebration.
March 29: Joseph Guerin, 61, Edgartown
Most important to Joe was his family; he was an utterly devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Nothing made him happier than spending time with the ones he loved. He spent countless hours teaching his children and grandchildren about tools, how to fish, and the importance of doing something right the first time.
March 30: Roger Bart, 91, Vineyard Haven
Roger enjoyed a lifetime relationship with the Vineyard. His first trip to the Island, as a very young child, was aboard an overnight steamer from New York with his parents. Roger met his wife, Elaine, at MIT, and brought her to the Vineyard in 1945 to meet his parents. Roger’s passions at the Vineyard included sailing, fishing, clamming, and gardening.
April 1: Kate Wilson, 33
Kate lived in New York, but spent every summer of her life on the Vineyard. It was her favorite place. She loved everything about the Island — spending time on its wide variety of beaches, where she found beauty and tranquility, walking, reading or basking in the sun.
April 3: Peter M. Martell, 75, Oak Bluffs
Peter Martell was a very successful businessman. He co-owned and ran the Wesley Hotel for 30 years, until 2015. He served the town in many ways, including as the Oak Bluffs emergency management director for 38 years.
April 5: Captain Phillips (Flip) Harrington, 78
Flip was born a seafarer. In the fall of 1975 Flip met Soo Whiting, and was introduced to Martha’s Vineyard through Soo and her friends’ eyes. Flip found productive areas to surf fish, and joined a group of deer hunters known as the “over the hill gang.”
April 6: Robert W. MacInnis, 103
Robert moved to Martha’s Vineyard when he was 14, and served in WWII. He was an incredible piano player, and piano tuner by trade. Robert frequented Linda Jean’s and lived on Hines Point in Tisbury. He was loving, generous, the friendliest man who would always cheer you up if ever you were having a bad day.
April 7: Janice Duart, 71, Oak Bluffs
She moved to Martha’s Vineyard in 1968, where she worked as a garment presser at Takemmy Laundry for over 30 years. She loved to watch people and enjoy the sights and sounds of a busy Oak Bluffs Circuit Avenue crowd. Her son, Kenny, would be her co-pilot in her car parked at the top of the hill in town, and just sit and chat and watch all the people milling around.
April 7: Linda G. Brown, 63, Vineyard Haven
She loved being a mom, and had a playful spirit and a kind warmth that made her exceptionally suited to it. She eventually went on to get her master’s in education, and took a position as a full-time teacher at the Edgartown School, specializing in grade 5-8 math. Her excitement about learning and the joy she brought to her teaching were an example to her students, whom she adored.
April 10: Barbara Ball Rivers, 90
Barbara enjoyed summers on Martha’s Vineyard with her parents starting in early childhood. Her parents eventually bought a home on the Island called Gaymark. Barbara was a beautiful woman both inside and out, with a cheerful disposition.
April 11: Gregory Mayhew, 72, West Tisbury
Fishing was in Greg’s blood from birth, and was a family affair. He and his brothers grew up practicing “striking” swordfish with harpoons by throwing paper plates into the ocean and seeing who could pierce the middle. Greg’s skills were quickly apparent, and later led to his becoming the most prolific swordfish striker on the East Coast … While Greg was a well-known commercial fisherman, it was his family life that gave him the most joy. This is best summed up in his own words, memorialized in his son Jeremy’s documentary film, “Striker’s Passing”: “I’d much rather not be the top dog, but be the top dog at home … to be a better family man …”
April 15: Helen Viera Gelotte, 86
She enjoyed the company of close friends on and off the Island, old, new, and college friends. Summers and holiday family gatherings were a highlight for her, and a source of much joy and laughter.
April 17: Jack Reed
“People called Dad Dancing Jack, or Barefoot Jack, or Jack Sprout. I didn’t know him before he was my father, when he was a Harvard editor, a journalist, a raging hippie, a cook, a husband twice, a partner many a time, a father to my older brothers and sisters. I called him the Faj, for father; I was named the Daj, for daughter.” –Zada Clarke
April 17: Barbara Blackwell Whidden Day, 84
A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and dedicated member of the extended Blackwell family, Barbara spent every summer of her life enjoying the waves of Stonewall Beach and the waters of Nashaquitsa Pond on the Vineyard.
Barbara continued her passion for capturing Vineyard landscapes with paint and brush, selling her works at the Granary Gallery. Bob lovingly sanded and prepared wood boxes for his wife’s art. Often holding hands, the couple were very much a team.
April 18: Keily A. Banfield, 42
Keily’s family moved to Martha’s Vineyard when she was in first grade. She began riding horses at Pond View Farm, and that started her lifelong love of animals.
April 20: Sylvia Angevin Thompson, 89, Edgartown
Sylvia inherited a lifelong love of the ocean and of decorating. Her parents were among the founders of the Sheriff’s Meadow Preserve in Edgartown. As a girl on the Island during World War II, Sylvia, her sister Andrea, and great friend Stella Brown learned to spot planes coming across the Atlantic. As a mother arriving with a station wagon full of children from Illinois, almost no time was too late or cold for an immediate dip at Bend in the Road. She was known to get laughing to the point of weakness, sometimes inappropriately.
April 21: Barbara Jane Dugan, 88
She held numerous jobs on the Vineyard, from cashier at a grocery store in Vineyard Haven to owning a women’s clothing store in Vineyard Haven called Bee Jay’s, and was a popular bartender at the Boston House. She also was known to play a mean game of darts.
April 24: Dennis George Bernard, 64, Edgartown
He was a very kind person who loved life. Dennis was a simple man who found joy in going for walks around town. He always had a smile on his face, and was a joy to be around.
April 25: Dr. Steven G. Mills, D.D.S.
As the sole proprietor of Dockside Dental, he proudly served the community of Martha’s Vineyard for 18 years. Steve will forever be remembered as the gentlest of souls with the kindest heart, a funny, fun-loving guy who loved listening to the oldies, and a good belly laugh.
April 25: Tony McGrath, 90, Oak Bluffs
Tony lived in the Highlands section of Oak Bluffs since 1964, and was a member of Motley Crew’s “The Brain Trust” at Mocha Mott’s since 2001. He produced the Frederick Douglass speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” on the beach in Oak Bluffs for the past 15 years. Harlem Renaissance writer and longtime Vineyard resident Dorothy West immortalized him in her novel “The Wedding,” which was about an interracial marriage. She based the characters on McGrath and his wife of 50 years, Abigail McGrath, her niece.
April 26: Kenneth Garde
After high school he traveled the country for several years working as a roadie for a number of bands including Taj Mahal, James Taylor, Judy Collins, and the Allman Brothers. Ken’s adventurous spirit led him to take what was planned as a day trip to Martha’s Vineyard. A day trip turned to a weekend, which began a 40-year love affair with a special place he would come to consider his home.
April 26: Alma M. Stibolt, 95, Oak Bluffs
[The Stibolts] started visiting the Vineyard for vacations in 1959. Alma and Hans owned and operated the Edgartown Lodge Apartments, and later operated the Long Ship at Nevin Square in Edgartown, as full business partners in everything they did.
April 27: Janice P. Van Riper, 92, Vineyard Haven
In 1957, Jan accepted a blind date with Emerson College publicist Anthony K. (“Tony”) Van Riper. During the three-year courtship that followed, he introduced her to the Vineyard, where his parents had summered since 1933 and lived since 1940. Returning from an Island visit in 1959, he proposed on the deck of the Islander as it passed through the red sector of the West Chop Light, and she accepted.
April 27: Nancy Jean McVeigh Tesch, 87
Nancy had a great sense of humor. She was a good friend and a kind, compassionate and thoughtful person, with a zest for life and a natural curiosity about everything and everyone.
May 3: Hershel West, 94, Menemsha
Hershel was a “Cricker” at heart, a part of the waterfront scene in Menemsha. He was well known for his role in the movie “Jaws” as Quint’s mate, along with his beloved dog Tipper. The movie role brought him membership in the Screen Actors Guild. In his later life, he resided at Woodside Village in Oak Bluffs. Hershel would commute on the bus mornings to work at Larsen’s Fish Market in Menemsha until his death. For the ride back home, a lobster roll would satisfy him.
May 3: Joshua N. Hathaway, 38
Josh had many passions, the greatest of which was motorcycle riding. He loved the wind in his face and the sense of freedom it provided, but more than anything, he loved to go fast!
May 5: Robin Ann Voisine, 59, Oak Bluffs
She worked at the A&P in Edgartown for several years and made many friends while there. Robin will be remembered by her family and friends both on and off Island as a hard worker and an easygoing and friendly person.
May 10: Ben Moore, 82, West Tisbury
Ben Moore gave his heart to the Vineyard as a child, and loved it ever after. He designed and built not only furniture, private homes, and public buildings, but also strong families, warm friendships, and Island institutions. He sang all the time, and only stopped the day before he died.
Despite family connections to Harthaven, Ben was always an up-Islander by style and choice, and there was never a question about where he and Paddy would live when they bought the old Alley farmhouse behind the Up-Island Garage in August 1975 “to try it for a year.”
May 10: Martha (Mardy) Kenyon Burgess, 86
She was deeply touched by the Island’s exquisite beauty. She always described the Vineyard as her “spirit home — immersion in the sea, beach, and sky.” Of the many things she loved, her greatest joy was swimming in the waters off East Chop in the early morning light.
May 11: Frazier Paige Colon, 84, Vineyard Haven
Upon retirement, he moved to the Vineyard, and was employed by the Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard. During this time he also enjoyed sailing, including a trip down the East Coast with Katharine, golf, and working with his son Tim and grandson Felix in Tim’s wood shop.
May 13: Gay Moore Phillipps Nelson, 78, Edgartown
Gay lived next door to her brother, Ben, and their two families often had joint gatherings that included other family members and friends. Gay was the West Tisbury children’s librarian for many years. She charmed adults with her Christmas glogg concoction. Children were her greatest love — a good listener, she was everyone’s mother, and will be greatly missed.
May 13: David Michael Darcy, 55
Dave moved to the Vineyard when he was 19, where he became an extraordinarily skilled drywaller. He was a lifelong Boston sports fan and avid golfer. If he wasn’t at work, the Ritz, or the P.A. Club, he could always be found at the Edgartown Golf Club.
May 24: Leona Coleman Flu, 94, Oak Bluffs
Leona first came to the Vineyard in 1940 with her parents, Luella and Ralf Coleman, and they enjoyed summers in their Oak Bluffs home, which is on the African American Heritage Trail.
May 25: John Matthew White, 48
For many past seasons, John was the executive chef for the Sandbar & Grille. He died doing what he loved.
May 26: Frederick Dennis Houston
Fred was known to many on the Island for delivering The M.V. Times, driving a bus for the VTA, and mostly as the manager of Airport Mini Storage of Martha’s Vineyard.
May 27: Jeffrey Scott Leland, 56, Vineyard Haven
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.
May 28: Philip James Brown III, 63, Oak Bluffs
A dreamer in the best sense of the word, warm and giving and emotional, P.J. believed life was wonderful. A summer Islander since the 1960s, P.J. was an honorary member of the Polar Bear Club, and would swim between the jetties at Inkwell Beach in Oak Bluffs come rain or shine.
May 31: Marianise Senat Delphin, 93, Vineyard Haven
Mme Pierre was well-known in her home town in Haiti as a loving individual whose door was always open to those in need. She came to the Vineyard in 1996 to live with family for needed care.
very nice compilation by the times– Thank you. But could you make the list shorter next year ?