Walter Kenneth Bunge, 84, died peacefully Sept. 9, 2015, at his home in Lexington, S.C. He was born on Feb. 4, 1931, in Madison, S.D., to the Rev. and Mrs. Arnold and Esther (Taeuber) Bunge. Walter is survived by his wife of 59 years, Judith, his children John (Mary Beth), Chris, Beth, and Carolyn; grandchildren Avalon, Lexus, Walter Chase, Sophie, Jack, Kameron, and Kobe; brother Ralph (Paula), sister Connie (Gerd) Bents and sister-in-law Mary Bunge. He was predeceased by his brothers David and Richard.
Walter was a veteran of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in the Korean War. He earned a B.A. in English and an M.S. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Minnesota. He also received a certificate from the Sorbonne University in Paris. In his career Walter received many awards, including the Gannett Foundation Medal for Distinguished Achievement in Journalism and Mass Communication, the African-American Media Association Award, and the office of Cruise Palmer Distinguished Professor in Journalism at Kansas State University.
Walter and Judith lived in the Dark Woods area of Edgartown for 13 wonderful years, and left almost four years ago only because they wanted to be part of their children and grandchildren’s lives, and they live in South Carolina. Of all the places the couple lived in 59 years, the Vineyard was the favorite of both, and they made many wonderful friends there.
Walter was known as a person of great integrity, whose decisions were based on what is right and not just what is expedient. He strongly believed in the First Amendment right to freedom of speech. He was beloved by many, especially his family, for the strength of his character and for his accepting, loving and gentle nature. He will be sadly missed, but leaves a long-lasting legacy.
A celebration of Walter’s life is planned for Saturday, Nov. 28, on Martha’s Vineyard, at the Chilmark Community Church at 2:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his memory to a charity of your choice, or to the following: Investigative Reporters and Editors,ire.org, under “donate”; Jeff Bridges’ No Kid Hungry, nokidhungry.org, 800-222-1767; Share Our Strength, P.O. Box 75475, Baltimore, MD 21275.
Peter A. O’Hara, of Tarpon Springs, Fla., formerly of Vineyard Haven, died on Oct. 22, 2015, at the age of 83.
Peter was born in Derry City, Northern Ireland, on April 15, 1932, to Laurence O’Hara and Susan MacLaughlin. He attended St. Columb’s College, Derry, and received his medical degree from Queen’s University Belfast. Peter served his residency in radiology at the Jacobi Medical Center, administered by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York City. He practiced as a radiologist in New York and at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
He leaves his wife of 54 years, Barbara (Karwowski), son Michael O’Hara of Tarpon Springs, Fla., and daughters Susan O’Hara of Westborough and Elizabeth O’Hara of Beaufort, N.C. He also leaves his beloved grandson, Jack, his “favorite granddaughter” Maggie, sisters-in-law Kathleen Karwowski and Helen O’Hara, many nieces and nephews in both the States and Ireland, and countless friends, all of whose lives he touched.
Donations in his memory may be sent to Suncoast Hospice Care Center, 164 West Lake Rd., Palm Harbor, FL 34684.
Janet Mcquirrie, born August 8, 1955, lost her long battle with cancer and died on Oct. 26, 2015, at home in New Bedford, surrounded by her loving family.
She is survived by her loving husband of many years, Raymond LaValley, formerly of Oak Bluffs, who now resides in New Bedford; daughters Rachel LaValley of New Bedford; Jennifer LaValley of Fall River; Christina Domingues of Roanoke, Va.; and two brothers, Glenn Searle and Kevin Searle of Edgartown.
Funeral services are pending. A full obituary will be posted in a future edition of The Times.
Barbara McKie of Winsted, Conn., died on Oct. 23, 2015, at the age of 91.
Barbara was born on August 4, 1923, in Winsted, the first child of Henry Spencer Colt and Grace Knight Colt. She grew up in Winsted and graduated from the Gilbert School in 1941. She studied at the University of Connecticut in Storrs before marrying Roger C. McKie in 1943.
One who always loved cooking, Barbara ran a small catering business in the early 1950s, and then supervised the soda fountain/lunch counter at the Opera House Pharmacy. From 1950 until 1980, she was the cook at the Tunxis Council, Boy Scouts of America, Camp Workcoeman, on West Hill Pond in New Hartford. She worked as the cafeteria manager at the Barkhamsted Elementary School, at Regional Seven High School (now Northwest Regional High School), and finally from 1959 to the early ’90s as the cafeteria manager at the Gilbert School.
She had many other interests. In the early 1950s she was a den mother for Cub Scout Pack 27, and throughout her life had a special fondness for dogs. She and her husband loved to entertain family and friends at their home in Winsted and at their cottage in Gay Head.
A member of the Second Congregational Church in Winsted, she participated in Psi Alpha (women’s group) and sang alto in the Senior Choir for more than 50 years.
More recently she volunteered at Laurel Hill Nursing Center in Winsted and also at the Winsted Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop. She had a delightful sense of humor, and enjoyed being a member of the Red Hat Society.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by an infant brother, Robert Colt; by her husband, Roger; by her sister-in-law, Nancy Colt; and two nephews, Peter and David Colt. She is survived by her brother, Richard Colt, of Torrington, and by her children, the Rev. Dr. Robert McKie and his wife, Susan, of Greensburg, Pa.; Richard McKie and his wife, Karen, of Winsted; Betsy Macdonald and her husband, Don, of West Tisbury; and by her ex-daughter-in-law, Janice McKie. She also leaves four grandchildren, Christian Macdonald and his wife, Emily; Jared Macdonald and his wife, Elise; and step-grandchildren, Erik Krukar and Adam Krukar, and three great-grandchildren, Cooper and Daphne Macdonald, and step-great-granddaughter, Jessica Krukar, as well as several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and -nephews.
Her children wish to thank the staff of the Torrington Health & Rehabilitation Center for the kind and excellent care that Barbara received. Memorial donations may be made to Little Guild of St. Francis, 285 Goshen Turnpike, West Cornwall, CT 06796, or the Animal Shelter of M.V., One Pennywise Path, P.O. Box 1829, Edgartown, MA 02539.
Helen F. (Goldberg) Issokson, 90, died on Saturday morning, Oct. 31, 2015, at her home in Vineyard Haven. She was the wife of S. Bernard Issokson and mother of Judy Issokson. Her funeral service will be held in the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center, Center Street, Vineyard Haven on Thursday, Nov. 5, at 12 pm, and burial will follow in the Martha’s VIneyard Hebrew Cemetery, West Spring Street, Vineyard Haven. A complete obituary will appear in another edition of this paper. Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Visitccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.
Daniel Kapioanuenue Kaeka lll, 79, of Hilo, Hawaii, died on Oct. 29, 2015, after a long-term illness. Danny “Hawaii 5-0″ Kaeka was born on Dec. 12, 1935, in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was a longtime resident of Vineyard Haven, fondly remembered as the night watchman at the Tisbury Steamship Authority terminal, where he worked for 27 years. Born and raised on the island of Oahu, he was the son of Daniel Kapioanuenue Kaeka Jr. and Maria Louise Clark of Wahiawa, Hawaii.
At the young age of 6, his tutu man and tutu lady (grandparents) woke him early one December morning, telling him to gather some belongings. They quickly hopped aboard a canoe and traversed the small lagoon over to the main island, where they were able to escape and hide within the tropical underbrush. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had begun. With aircraft and bombs falling around them, they used old forgotten footpaths to work their way up to Nu’uanu Valley, hiding with family while the attacks were underway.
Danny served with the 12th U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War as an amphibian tracman, where he earned his Korean Service Medal. After his tour of duty in Korea he was transferred to the U.S. Naval Station in Long Beach, Calif., where he met a young Navy WAVE, Shirley Webb Vincent, who became the love of his life. Due to an illness in Shirley’s family, the couple eventually relocated to Martha’s Vineyard.
In his younger years, Danny loved to play fast-pitch softball for the up-Ianders ball team. To this day there are Islanders who would brag that “no one could hit off of him.” Later in life, handing down those pitching skills, Danny enjoyed teaching friends and family the fine art of horseshoe pitching. After retiring from the Steamship, Danny and his wife moved back to his homeland of Hawaii. He continued playing competitive horseshoes, and won the championship for his age group on the Big Island of Hawaii. Danny enjoyed his many visits from Vineyard family and friends, taking them for tours all around the Big Island.
Danny is survived by his wife of 59 years, Shirley Vincent Kaeka, now residing in Hilo, Hawaii; two sisters, Velma Lou Keanuenue of Napa Valley, Calif., and Kathryn Louise Nakoa of Nanakuli, Hawaii; a brother, Rodney Kaluikaulana Kaeka of Pahoa, and three half-brothers, Dennis Kaeka and Edward Kaeka of Oahu, and Henano Kaeka of Colorado. He is predeceased by brothers Ho’olu Kaeka, Dewey Kaeka, and Charles Kainoa Kaeka, and sister Lily Anne Laniaaloha Kaeka, all of Oahu, Hawaii.
He is also survived by his children, Daniel Kapioanuenue Kaeka IV and his wife Sue, daughter Hannah Kaloke Scott and her husband Jonathan Scott, son Daryl Kalani Kaeka, Dennis Kealoha Kaeka, and Dwight Kimo Kaeka and his wife Beth, who all reside in West Tisbury.
He is survived by his grandchildren Daniel “Fin” Kaeka V, Ali and Jordan Peterson, Leolani Rose Kaeka, Noelani Scott Chase, Ilikea Daniel Scott, Maili P. Scott, Calvin “Alika” Kaeka, Daryl “DK” Kaeka, Marissa and Dwight “DJ” Kaeka, also by three great-grandchildren, Aidan Keoni Chase, Makaela Noelani Chase, and Riley Kaeka.
An observance of his life will take place on Martha’s Vineyard at a future date to be announced. A private memorial service will be held in Hilo, Hawaii.
William (Bill) Mill of Vineyard Haven, predeceased by his beloved wife Muriel (Sue), died Oct. 31, 2015, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, surrounded by his family. Thanks are due to Father Nagle and the staff of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for the comfort they provided him.
A resident of the Island for the past 17 years, he greatly enjoyed his retirement in Vineyard Haven and membership in the Scottish Society, and gave back by serving on the Martha’s Vineyard Airport Commission, among other volunteer positions.
He was a U.S. Army veteran (2nd Lieutenant, 82nd Airborne), paratrooper and weapons instructor, race car builder and driver, airplane pilot, accomplished storyteller and practical joker, and loving father of six.
He began his working career as a news reporter, bridging the transition from radio to black-and-white video to the invention of color TV. Serving as his own cameraman, photographer, reporter, and anchor on evening broadcasts, he became a fixture on the Connecticut news scene from Channel 30 to Channel 3 (WTIC, later WFSB). Bill was the only Connecticut reporter to be requested by Malcolm X for an exclusive interview. He later served Gov. Ella Grasso, becoming her director of communications for several state agencies. Governors Meskill and O’Neill, Senator Abraham Ribicoff, and numerous other state and national politicians considered him a personal friend.
A lifelong train enthusiast who built his own extraordinarily detailed model railroads, he volunteered his editorial services for many years to Railroadiana Express magazine, and earned a national reputation as an authority on all aspects of the field, particularly silver and china.
He leaves behind six children, Susan and Robert Mill of Vineyard Haven, William Mill and his wife Cheryl of Middletown, Conn., Robin Stufano and her husband Vincent of Chesterfield, Va., Deborah Mill of Old Saybrook, Conn., and Donald Mill and his wife Wendy, also of Old Saybrook, along with eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who cherish the memories of every moment he shared with them. He also sadly leaves a dog, Duncan, who is likewise heartbroken.
John Minott Wuerth, formerly of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, died peacefully at the age of precisely 95 and a half on Tuesday evening, Sept. 29, 2015.He was born in Montclair, N.J., on March 29, 1920, to Gustav and Elsie Wuerth.
Jack graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in physics from Princeton University in 1942. During the Second World War, he served as a Lieutenant A(L) in the U.S. Naval Reserve, and as project officer in the Navy Department in Washington, D.C. He used his physics knowledge to improve the accuracy of hitting moving targets from airplanes. After the war, Jack moved west to California, where he became one of the first nationally recognized experts on space navigation, exciting the nation in 1951 by describing how to get to Venus. He was also an internationally recognized authority on systems and components for guided-missile navigation, and developed and managed systems of inertial navigation for aircrafts, submarines, and guided missiles. Jack was issued seven navigation-related patents during his 35-plus years as an engineer at Autonetics (which later became Rockwell International).He also served as president of the North American Institute of Navigation. Yes, he was truly a rocket scientist!
Jack was married to Joan Alling on June 11, 1948, after a very short, whirlwind courtship, and they enjoyed 65 wonderful years of marriage. They raised four daughters together in Southern California. They retired to Oak Bluffs in 1986, and later moved to Edgartown, and spent many active years on the Island as members of the Edgartown Federated Church, the Edgartown Yacht Club, gardening, traveling, and hosting many friends and family. In 2008 they returned to California to be closer to their youngest daughter, Wendy Scheck.
Jack had honed a love of sailing and the Vineyard through summers spent in an Edgartown cottage built by his grandparents in 1924 on Katama Bay. The many racing pendants he and his siblings won still hang in one of the bedrooms there. He continued sailing his entire life, and he enjoyed teaching the art to his daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren. One of Jack’s favorite stories was of the sailing race in which he and his brother sailed across the finish line with the boat completely submerged! He also told the story of a harrowing experience he had in the Round-the-Island Race. They were going around the tip of Nomans Land with thick fog. Suddenly the fog got much thicker, and then he realized that the thick fog was a triple-masted square-rigged clipper ship, right in front of them! They managed to barely miss hitting it.
Jack was well known for his keen mind and great sense of humor. In his youth he was an accomplished practical jokester. Once he arranged for cherry bombs to go off behind his school while chatting with local police officers. As he matured, he learned to use his considerable analytical and strategic skills as an active problem solver, and began a lifelong pattern of volunteering, through various positions on educational boards, church leadership, conservation groups, and civic organizations. He served on numerous committees for the town of Oak Bluffs, and also served in various positions as a lay leader at the Federated Church, including as moderator and Church Council chairman.
Jack showed his commitment to conservation of open spaces as he helped organize the committee to preserve the Southern Woodlands area. He and Joan hosted numerous meetings in their home, and participated in many Oak Bluffs town meetings and Martha’s Vineyard Commission meetings in this effort.
In the process of applying for a pier in front of his Oak Bluffs home, he represented himself as applicant and qualified as an expert witness at the longest adjudicatory hearing in the history of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Music was another of Jack’s passions (he was an excellent tenor), which he pursued actively while young and again found real comfort and enjoyment in during the last years of his life. He was the founding president of the South Bay Civic Light Opera Co. in Redondo Beach, Calif.
Jack is survived by his four daughters: Vicky Sigworth and her husband Fred of Hamden, Conn., Shelley Rice and her husband Craig of San José, Costa Rica, Kelsey Ambrose and her husband Tom of Rumney, N.H., and Wendy Scheck and her husband Andy of Moraga, Calif. In addition, he is survived by his sisters, Katharine Lynn and her husband Robert, and Elizabeth Jones, all of Scarborough, Maine; 10 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.He was predeceased by his parents, his loving wife Joan (Alling) Wuerth, and his brother, Tom Wuerth.
A memorial service is scheduled for 11 am on Nov. 21 at the Edgartown Federated Church. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Memorial Garden Fund at the Edgartown Federated Church, 45 South Summer Street, P.O. Box 249, Edgartown, MA 02539; 508-627-4421.
Robert Edward Phillips was born on Jan. 24,1933, in Oak Bluffs and died on Nov. 1, 2015, at the age of 82. He lived his entire life in Oak Bluffs. He was married for 62 years to Pauline Crankshaw Phillips. They met on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs. Robert attended school in Oak Bluffs and graduated from Dean Academy in 1950 and Bryant University in 1952. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea during the Korean War.
Robert played golf at the Island Country Club and Farm Neck. He loved playing golf with the “noonies” at Farm Neck. He won many trophies, and was especially proud of the one he won with his son, Ken. Robert enjoyed being a Boy Scout leader. He was on the Board of Registers in Oak Bluffs, and on the committee when the Oak Bluffs Town Hall was built (where the Police Department is located now).
Robert was the previous owner of Phillips Hardware. He started working for his father, John, when he was 12 years old, and now his daughters, Donna and Susan, own the hardware store.
Robert leaves his wife Pauline; three children, Donna Leon and her husband Jaime, Susan Phillips and her husband JamesCage, and Kenneth Phillips and his wife Michelle. He also has three grandchildren, Michelle Lynch and her husband Terry, Christopher Leon, and Colby Phillips, and two great-grandchildren, Mateo and Daniela Lynch. His grandson Christopher is the fourth generation born on the Vineyard. He also leaves three step-grandchildren, Richard Cage, John David Cage and his wife Johanna, and Heather Hughes and her husband Ed. Step-great-grandchildren include Jeremy Cage, Erin Cage, Alex Cage, lan Cage, Evelyn Cage, Emily Hughes, and Kaitlyn Hughes.
A Celebration of Life service will take place on Thanksgiving Friday, Nov. 27 at Trinity Worship Center of United Methodist Church of Martha’s Vineyard, located in the Campgrounds at 11 am, followed by burial in Oak Grove Cemetery, Pacific Avenue, Oak Bluffs. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Robert’s memory to a charity of your choice or the United Methodist Church of Martha’s Vineyard.
Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Visitccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.
Loving and devoted husband and father Roger Neuhoff died peacefully Oct. 28th on Martha’s Vineyard. He was 87.
Born Feb.16, 1928, in New York City to Jerome and Betty Green Neuhoff, Roger spent his childhood in King’s Point, Long Island, with his older brother John. He followed John to Phillip’s Academy Andover, where Roger was a champion hammer thrower and track star.
The brothers were Inseparable in their formative years, and Roger later attended Amherst College right behind John, graduating in 1950. From there, Roger was one of the earliest recruits of the Central Intelligence Agency, where he was deployed behind enemy lines in North Korea to rescue downed American reconnaissance pilots.
With a keen intellect and boundless ambition, Roger’s meteoric career in media began as a salesman at WTOP AM in Washington, D.C. Not long after, Roger and his wife Louise began building Eastern Broadcasting with the acquisition of their very first radio station in Charlottesville, Va., in 1955. From there, he and his business partner, Bob Zimmerman grew the company, adding another 11 markets of television and radio. In 1989, Eastern was sold to Tele Media in one of the largest transactions of its kind at the time. During that same period, Roger and Louise moved to North Palm Beach, Fla., and joined the Lost Tree Club, their permanent home. In 2003, Roger and Louise began building another broadcast company, Neuhoff Communications, which still operates in six Midwest markets.
Though Roger was always clearly focused on his work, his happiest times were spent with Louise, family, and friends in Edgartown, where he was able to relax and enjoy life. The Neuhoff family has summered on Martha’s Vineyard since 1956. Roger was a member of the Edgartown Yacht Club, a founder of the Chappaquiddick Beach Club, and a member of the Edgartown Reading Room, where he was renowned for his backgammon skills. He also belonged to the Washington University Club and the Chevy Chase Club.
A longtime cancer survivor, Roger was perhaps best known to those closest to him for his ability to always remain positive in the face of adversity. He used humor to deflect and disarm those around him, and always found a kind word to lift the spirits of others.
Predeceased by his parents, his brother John, and his son Geoffrey, Roger leaves behind his wife Louise, daughter Marion Hickman and husband Simon of West Tisbury, his sons Eric and Alexander, and his daughter-in-law Beth. Additionally, Roger leaves 10 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, a niece and four nephews, and Felix the cat. His beautiful smile always warmed our hearts.
A private family service will be held on Martha’s Vineyard. Memorial donations may be made to the Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust, mvpreservation.org.
Longtime Edgartown resident Jennifer Clarke Low Oliver, a children’s book illustrator and New Yorker cover artist, died Thursday, Oct. 29, from complications of ALS. She was 70.
Her 28 covers for the New Yorker magazine in the late ’70s and ’80s ranged from Thanksgiving and Valentine’s holiday depictions to home settings and peaceful nature scenes, many based on places on the Vineyard, where she lived and painted from for the past 40 years. A stately old Victorian house in the Williams Street historic district in Vineyard Haven, now owned by April and Michael Levandowski of LeRoux, appeared as a New Yorker cover in September of 1983.
Born in Bloomington, Ind., Jenni, as she was known, attended Guilford College in North Carolina and Massachusetts College of Art before moving to Martha’s Vineyard from Cambridge. Her career with the New Yorker started in the late ’60s with pen and ink illustrations, called spot drawings, that would accompany articles. She did hundreds of these for the weekly magazine. For several years, issues might have four or five of her spot drawings.
After the art director asked her to submit a painting for the cover, the magazine bought 35 of her paintings, 28 of which appeared and can still be purchased today as prints. The cover paintings were interesting in that they never had a person, but always showed an activity done by a person who had just left the scene, such as book on a park bench or a pile of leaves with a rake leaning against a tree alongside a long driveway entrance. She once said she liked the ambiguity: “I think people who look at my covers can make up their own story.”
“She had fan letters from around the world,” said her husband, Edly Oliver. The couple, who both attended Massachusetts College of Art, had recently celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.
Jenni also had a successful career illustrating children’s books, about nine in all, including the well-known “January Brings the Snow,” by Sara Coleridge. Later on, her love of animals led her to start painting animal portraits on the Vineyard, and here too, her creativity became known. A portrait for Harold and Majorie Rogers of West Tisbury included all the pets they had ever owned — about 25 to 30 animals. Word of mouth spread, and she was commissioned to do a number of these.
At the yearly Agricultural Fair, Jenni could often be found hand-washing cows before judging commenced. She once entered her pet cow of 25 years, Daylilly, who also graced the cover of the New Yorker one year. Jenni was known locally as being a very kind, giving person.
Jenni and her husband moved to the Vineyard in 1968, not long after her parents, the late Joseph and Ruth Low, bought land in Chilmark. Her father, Joseph, was a children’s book writer and illustrator, and a graphic designer who had a number of New Yorker covers himself between 1940 and 1984.
She is survived by her husband, Edward “Edly” Lee Oliver Jr.; her sister, Damaris Botwick of Chatham, N.Y.; sisters-in-law Annette Oliver Smith and Susan Oliver Coxe; and brothers-in-law Theodore Oliver and Bill Coxe, all of Charlotte, N.C.
Jenni donated her body for ALS research. A memorial gathering will be held at a future date.
Sarah Gelotte Peters of Vineyard Haven died on Oct. 12 at the Boston Medical Center, surrounded and cared for by her loving family. A sudden illness took her too soon, at age 53.
Sarah and her husband John were married in 1984, and lived since then in Vineyard Haven. Sarah loved spending time with her family, the Gelottes and the Peters. She was often visited by her mother and her brothers, their wives, and their children. She hosted many family dinners in her home, and these were a source of happy memories and were always joyful, laugh-filled gatherings. She enjoyed gardening in the summer months in her back yard, and often took pride in delivering to her family delicious tomatoes.
Sarah loved the ocean and being in or near the water. She spent some of her most memorable moments on the water, whether it was pulling lobster traps or a scallop drag, digging quahogs or steamers, or just sitting on South Beach and enjoying the sky and sea. Sarah’s care for animals was important and constant throughout her life; she provided a home for six dogs over the past 30 years, as well as for an African gray parrot.
As a young child, Sarah attended the St. Pierre School, and summer camp at the old Marine Hospital in Vineyard Haven, where she met some of her closest friends to this day, who deeply miss her. She was a graduate of Lasell College in Newton and Simmons College in Boston. Most recently she was the branch manager of the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank in West Tisbury, where she had worked more than 15 years. It was her caring co-workers who assisted her when she first took ill on her last day at the bank.
Sarah leaves behind her devoted husband John, her mother Helen (Viera) Gelotte, also of Vineyard Haven, and her brother Mark of Hatfield and brother and sister-in-law, Matt and Liz of Wellesley, as well as many other extended family members. She was preceded in death by her father Robert Gelotte, her maternal grandparents, Manual and Sarah (Arruda) Viera and her paternal grandparents Claus and Mabel (Goldstein) Gelotte. Sarah also leaves behind her companion Mika, a German shepherd with whom she enjoyed countless hours.
Sarah’s kindness, sense of humor, and gentle upbeat manner in the face of any situation will be remembered, as will her devotion to her husband and mother. A memorial gathering for close family and friends was recently held, and an interment service will be private.
Donald R. Billings, 84, of Oak Bluffs died on Wednesday evening, Nov. 4, 2015, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. He was the beloved husband of Nancy (Knight) Billings. His funeral Mass will be celebrated in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Massasoit Avenue, Oak Bluffs, on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 10 am. Burial with full military honors will be offered by the Veterans of Martha’s Vineyard in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Vineyard Avenue, Oak Bluffs. A tribute will also be offered by the Oak Bluffs Fire Department.
Following the services, family and friends will gather at the Portuguese American Club, Vineyard Avenue, Oak Bluffs.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group, P.O. Box 1552, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. A complete obituary will appear in another edition of this newspaper. Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Visitccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.
Eileen Judith “Judy” Oliver died Thursday, Nov. 5 at her Vineyard Haven home. She was 74. Judy was the beloved wife of Vernon “Buddy” Oliver.
Visiting hours will held on Sunday, November 8, from 2 pm to 4 pm in the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs.
Judy’s funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, November 9, at 12 pm in St. Augustine’s Church, Franklin Street, Vineyard Haven. Burial will follow in the Oak Grove Cemetery, Vineyard Haven.
Donations in Judy’s memory may be made to MV Cancer Support Group, PO Box 2214, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. A complete obituary will be published in a future edition of the newspaper.
Georgette Rhea (Caron) Vermette, of Oak Bluffs and formerly of Woonsocket, R.I., died on Thursday morning, Nov. 5, 2015, at Windemere Nursing Home in Oak Bluffs. She was 87.
She was the wife of Raymond Vermette, who predeceased her in February 1998 after 48 years of marriage.
Georgette was born in Woonsocket, R.I., and was a lifelong resident until moving to Martha’s Vineyard to be closer to her daughters in May 2011. She was one of nine siblings born to Phineaus and Fabiola (Drapeau) Caron, who emigrated from Montreal, Canada, to Woonsocket to raise their family. Georgette attended St. Ann’s School.
She was a waitress at Vermette’s Restaurant, where the two families became close friends, and she met her husband Ray, who was the son of the owners, while he was also working there. She had worked for her brother, Roger, at his restaurant, Kay’s.
Georgette is survived by her two daughters, Jackie Vermette and Joann Vermette, both of Vineyard Haven; her brother, Roger “Kay” Caron; and her sister, Pauline Vermette of Woonsocket. She was predeceased by her parents, and by four sisters, Mariette Caron, Estelle Lucchesi, Rita Polek, and Violet Boucher; and her brothers, Normand and Robert Caron.
A memorial Mass for Georgette will be held at St. Joseph Church, Woonsocket, on Friday, Nov. 13, at 10:30 am. Donations may be made in her memory to Windemere Nursing and Rehab Recreational Department or an Alzheimer’s organization.
William W. Pinney Jr. of Sugar Hill, N.H., and South Dartmouth, died peacefully on Wednesday, Nov. 4, surrounded by his loving family.
William W. Pinney, Jr.
Born on Staten Island, N.Y., March 24, 1921, the son of William W. (Peter) Pinney Sr. and Margaret Mackenzie Gostenhofer Pinney of Edgartown, he is predeceased by his first wife, Louise Slocum Quimby, and a sister, Olive Pinney Tilghman.
He was a graduate of Kent School in Kent, Conn.; of Harvard College, with a degree in engineering science; and of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., with a master’s degree in psychology.
During WW II he was employed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard installing the first radar systems on naval vessels. After the war he worked for the Bendex Corp. for a short time, and then moved to Edgartown with his family to join his father in establishing the Co-Operative Dairy, for which he served as the business manager. They summered at the family home on Chappaquiddick, where he operated a chicken farm. Recognizing a need on the Island for veterinary expertise in handling the larger livestock, he took it upon himself to attend Cornell University to become a veterinary assistant in order to better serve the Island farmers.
In 1951 he and his family moved to Litchfield, Conn., where he was employed as an engineer at Chase Copper & Brass of Waterbury, Conn., and in 1962 became vice president and part owner of Mattatuck Manufacturing Co. While in Litchfield, he was deeply involved in the community, serving in the local church, as chairman of the school board, as chairman of the Republican Committee for Litchfield County, and founding the local land trust. He also taught business management at both Columbia University and Connecticut University, and began a tenure as a trustee of Becker College in Worcester, which he continued until 2002.
Sailing and spending time on the ocean was always a great joy to him. In 1969, he made this joy a career when he moved to South Dartmouth and purchased the Concordia Boat Co., along with Beetle Boat Co. Later he added Manchester Sails and the Packet gift shop as parts of the Concordia business. He was able to use his extensive business experience and knowledge of boats to help the companies thrive. This expertise was also invaluable to Marshall Marine Corp. of South Dartmouth, of which he became a part owner.
Bill had many passions and interests throughout his life. First and foremost among these was his love for the natural environment and all things living. Any free time was spent outdoors studying the world around him, and he loved sharing his knowledge of the natural world with others, especially children. He was instrumental in guiding the Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies and the Dartmouth Children’s Museum for many years, and volunteered his time as a Big Brother to give less privileged children an opportunity to experience the world around them.
In the early 1970s Bill recognized the need to preserve much of the natural beauty in Dartmouth for future generations to enjoy. Drawing from previous land preservation work, he was the driving force and one of the initial founders of the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust. He was always very modest regarding this accomplishment, yet the thousands of people who enjoy the unspoiled trails through the woods and marshes are truly grateful for his foresight and commitment.
In 1977, Bill married Sarah Marshall, and he was devoted to her for the next 38 years. Together, they rebuilt houses, managed a business, raised children, danced, created and maintained beautiful gardens, and traveled extensively. Their explorations always involved educating themselves about different cultures and environments throughout the world. Whether it was witnessing the stark beauty of the Antarctic, the Northwest Territories, and the Baffin Islands, or the teeming flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands and Africa, they were both enthralled with gathering as much information as possible about people and wildlife during each adventure.
Bill was also an avid bird watcher. As an active member of the Paskamansett Bird Club, he had an impressive list of birds he had spied over the years, both locally and around the globe. He was also an accomplished tennis player, a graceful cross-country skier, and a member of the New Bedford Yacht Club.
He was an avid reader, and loved a good debate. He would often take a contrary position on a topic whether he agreed with it or not, just to challenge other people to consider all sides of an argument. Regardless of the ages of the other people in the conversation, he was always interested in the different opinions. He was a firm believer in quality education at all levels, and served as a trustee at Friends Academy for a number of years.
In 1984, he and Sarah purchased a home in Sugar Hill, N.H., where they spent every winter since. Like every other town he lived in, he became very involved in the local community. This included assisting the local land trust, serving as chairman of the Planning Board and as town auditor for 25 years. He was also moderator of the local church and an active member of the Winter Club.
As an undergraduate, Bill entered into the Harvard Grant Study on aging, which he actively participated in until his final days. The study tracks the physical, psychological, and sociological development of a group of men throughout their life. He gave numerous interviews with the researchers over the past 70 years, and always looked forward to discussing the findings with the research team.
Throughout his life, Bill’s commitment to give his time and knowledge to serve his family, friends, and community was always a priority. This included offering sound business advice when needed and providing valuable life lessons to his grandchildren. Time spent with them was a particular treasure to him. In recent years he was extremely content to sit on the patio looking over the river, watching the birds come and go and occasionally taking a walk in the woods.
He leaves his wife, Sarah H.M. Pinney; a daughter, Margaret Nelson Pinney of Nevis and Vineyard Haven; a son, William Austin Pinney and his wife Raquel de Souza Pinney of Miami, Fla., and Chappaquiddick; three stepsons, Breck Marshall and his wife Martha Aguilar Marshall of Westport, Geoffrey Marshall and his wife Kristen Lindblom Marshall of South Dartmouth, and David Harris Marshall of Swansea. He will also be missed by his grandchildren, William Alexander Weathers and his wife Lori of Santa Barbara, Calif., Andrew Strider Pinney of Brookline, Megan Alexia Marshall and Dylan Harris Marshall of South Dartmouth, and Breck Marshall and Iliana Sarah Marshall of Westport. He had two great-grandchildren, Gabriella Nicole Weathers and Cameron Christine Weathers, plus several nieces and nephews.
Visiting hours will be at the Waring Sullivan Home of Memorial Tribute at Dartmouth, 230 Russells Mills Road in South Dartmouth, on Wednesday, Nov. 11 from 5 to 8 p.m.
A memorial service and reception will take place in August. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust,dnrt.org.
Stephen L. Robinson, longtime Vineyard resident and Island real estate broker, died at home peacefully on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, surrounded and cared for by family and friends following a multiyear engagement with prostate cancer. He was 69.
Stephen lived life to the fullest. Outgoing and known for his enthusiastic energy, Stephen’s standard was the bold Hawaiian shirt that matched his outsize personality. He was beloved by many and known for his warmth, vibrant embrace of life, love of music, love of food, and boisterous laughter. In addition to his love of family, Stephen’s passions were real estate and travel.
Raised in Arlington, Stephen spent his early summers at the family cottage in Essex before transferring his allegiance to the Vineyard and his family’s cottage, The Cricket, in the Oak Bluffs Campground, where his grandparents also resided.
From his earliest days, Stephen passionately took to the water, learning to swim, sail small boats, and canoe, and spending his summers exploring the beaches and marshes near Crane’s Beach. As a Boy Scout, the weeks he spent at Camp Sachem in New Hampshire helped him establish his lifelong habits of thoroughly mastering any subject that commanded his attention and as a confident explorer of new ideas and new places.
Appropriately, Stephen’s first job on the Vineyard as a 16-year-old was as a beach boy at the East Chop Beach Club, where his deliberate and thorough approach in executing his duties earned him the nickname of “Flash.” During his next Vineyard summer, he explored the inner workings of the kitchen operations at Giordano’s Restaurant.
Following a year of engineering studies at the University of Massachusetts, the spirit of the times and Stephen’s zest drew him to the 1968 world of San Francisco, where he furthered his education through his work at the music store “Music Five.” Later he ventured to Mexico, where he developed an export business that focused on handcrafted embroidered and woven clothing, then in vogue.
Embracing change in the early 1970s, Stephen traveled to Alaska aboard a school bus, and established himself in a Fairbanks log cabin. Working as an emergency firefighter for the Bureau of Land Management, he traveled extensively to the most remote native outposts.
Heating his cabin with a wood stove and using the permafrost as his refrigerator in the summers, he labored at a sawmill and later on the Alaska Railroad. Beginning in 1974, he contributed to the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. As a Teamster, among his other duties, he drove heavy trucks north of the Yukon River during the summer and winter months while living in the construction camps at Big Delta and Old Man.
Following the completion of the Alaskan pipeline, Stephen returned to the Vineyard in 1979, where he bought his first home in Vineyard Haven and embarked upon his long career in Island real estate. Over the years he was affiliated with various real estate offices, including Ocean Park, Island, Harborside, and most recently ReMax. He became a devoted student of residential real estate, amassing an encyclopedic knowledge ranging from design and construction techniques to the intimate geography of the Vineyard. Stephen also maintained a deep trove of Vineyard history and lore. In general he took great pleasure in helping people with a wide range of issues, and was a stickler for detailed accuracy. Stephen particularly loved to impart his knowledge to visitors to the Island. As a real estate broker, he derived his most professional satisfaction when he could assist Islanders find affordable homes and solve the problems that posed barriers to their purchase of a home.
In addition to the Vineyard, Stephen’s great passion was traveling with the love of his life, Linda Carmen Zarro, a true soulmate. Stephen and Linda met on the Vineyard and married in 1989 at Hart Haven’s Bluff. Stephen and Linda were particularly drawn to the Caribbean Islands. Over the years they explored Anguilla, Antigua, Jamaica, Grenada, Carriacou, St. Martin, Nevis, St. Kitts, Montserrat, Tobago Key, Union Island, Mayreau, Mustique, St. Vincent, and Bequia in the Grenadines. They also traveled extensively in Europe and South America.
Stephen was born on August 7, 1946, at the Murphy Army Hospital in Waltham. His parents met and married during the American wartime occupation of Italy. His mother, Silvana Rigacci Robinson, was a native of Florence, and his father, Arthur Edward “Robbie” Robinson Jr., was a GI from Arlington stationed in that city.
In addition to his wife Linda Carmen Zarro, Stephen is survived by his stepdaughter Zoey Zarro Rawlins, her husband Benjamin Reese, and his grandson Thurston A. Reese, his mother Silvana Robinson, and his bothers Gregory, David, Andrew, and Daniel Robinson, in addition to his many nieces and nephews as well as a host of friends.
An Island gathering to celebrate Stephen’s life will be held at a future date to be announced. In remembrance of Stephen’s life, donations may be made to the Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard and the Cancer Support Group of Martha’s Vineyard. Arrangements are under the care of Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Oak Bluffs.
Philip M. Upham of Edgartown and formerly of Weston died at home on Friday, November 13, 2015 at the age of 79.
He was the husband of Alice M. (Ferreira) Upham and father of Keith Upham of Natick, Kurt Upham of Wayland and Kimberly Arms of Littleton and the brother of Donald B. Upham of Aiken, SC.
Visiting hours will be held on Mon., Nov. 16 from 2-4 and 6-8pm in the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs.
His funeral service will be held on Thu., Nov. 19 at 10am in the Bryant Funeral Home, 56 Pemberton Road, Wayland and burial will follow in the Linwood Cemetery, Rt. 20, Weston.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation in Philip’s memory to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 230 East Ohio Street, Suite 304; Chicago, Illinois 60611-3201 or at www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/ways-to-give/donate-now.
Donald R. Billings died Nov. 4, 2015, after suffering a severe stroke at the age of 84. His loving family was at his side.
Donald was the son of Rita (Introvigne) Billings and Raymond Billings Sr., the beloved husband of Nancy (Knight) Billings for 58 years, and the father of David Billings and Amy Billings.
Donald graduated from Oak Bluffs High School, and following a tour of duty in Korea, he worked for White Brother’s Construction Co. and Bergeron’s Garage. He attended Volkswagen school in Butler, Pa.
He later purchased the Western Auto business, which he ran for many years in Oak Bluffs with his dad, his son David, and Brion McGroarty. Later Amy joined David in what is now Cottage City Outdoor Power and Home Appliance Store on Circuit Avenue.
Donald spent some time in Maine in the early years, when Nancy was in school there. He contemplated taking over his father-in-law’s business in Skowhegan, selling and installing barn cleaners and milking machines. However, after spending several days repairing them on piles of frozen manure at -10° and -20° degrees, he announced that he would rather scallop the rest of his life! They came home that June to find the SSA boat strike in progress. But a friendly fisherman gave them a ride home on his boat, along with belongings, baby, dog, and canary. Everyone enjoyed a few weeks of unusually light summer traffic till the strike ended.
Donald was always active in his children’s lives and town activities. He was former president of the Oak Bluffs Business Association, served on the shellfish committee, and was a member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society. He was a eucharistic minister at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, and received the Marian Medal for his service. He was a member of the Oak Bluffs Fire Department for 40 years, serving as captain for the past 20. With his longtime friend Billy Norton, he acquired his fire company’s original 1929 Maxim fire engine and created the fire museum, with much help from many friends and caring people. He was very proud of that accomplishment.
Donald was happy to serve on the new fire station building committee and to protect his museum.
Donald is survived by his son David and daughter-in-law Anita, daughter Amy and her husband Chris Welch, grandchildren Jaime Lynn Schwab and her husband Jason, Samantha White Billings, Joshua Donald Billings, and Andrew Welch; also by his special granddaughters Keri Lynn Thomas and her husband Delmar, and daughter Corinna, Kara Best, and son Christian, nephew Michael Billings of Millis and Vineyard Haven, and Shirley and John Cooledge, sister- and brother-in-law of Naples, Fla. He leaves cousins in Connecticut, Maine, and Florida. He was predeceased by two beloved sons, Donald Jr. and Jonathan, and by his brother Raymond Billings Jr. and wife Doris.
Donald’s funeral was held at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, officiated by Fr. Michael Nagel, with a grand parade to the cemetery in the back of his beloved antique fire truck, accompanied by representation from all the Island fire departments and veterans.
Donations in his memory may be made to the (Town of Oak Bluffs) Fire Museum, P.O. Box 143, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557, or as Mike Joyce recalled at the funeral, he would have liked you to “just do the right thing” always. Arrangements were under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Oak Bluffs.
Daniel W. Greenbaum of Chilmark died Nov. 13, 2015, surrounded by family, at his home at age 89. He is survived by his wife Anne Barry, his daughters Anne and Susan Greenbaum from his first marriage to Patricia, grandson Edward, and the wonderful children Joanne Kuh, Liz Kuh, Tom Kuh, Sarah Kuh, and Dan Kuh, grandchildren of Anne Barry. Dan was descended from a line of lawyers; his grandfather was a New York Supreme Court judge, and his father founded a liberal law firm in New York City, Greenbaum, Wolff & Ernst.
Born Sept. 20, 1926, to Edward S. and Dorothea Greenbaum, Dan’s love for the Vineyard began in 1932, when his parents began spending summers here. Edward, a lawyer, immediately became engaged with the Vineyard community, issues, and interests, and Dan followed suit when he moved to Chilmark full-time in 2005. Dan served the Island on town- and Vineyard-wide committees and working groups. Shortly before his death, he talked fondly of his work on Vineyard projects. He counted the passage of the Squibnocket agreement, the Chilmark Housing Guidelines, and the roundabout as the proudest engineering moments of his career. In a tribute to Dan at a recent town meeting, his colleagues said that he “brought humor and an open mind to the discussions, and his insightful questions helped frame an issue or a problem so that others could understand.”
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dan worked as a civil engineer in New York City, retiring as the managing partner at Volmer Associates — an amazing accomplishment for a man who didn’t like to wear shoes. At various times he could be found on the top of the Orange Bowl looking at traffic patterns, beneath the streets of New York City looking at subway tunnels, or somewhere else in the world helping countries improve their toll-road systems. He lived and worked in Colombia and Mexico, and traveled to countless other countries for business and pleasure. As a result, it took him a very long time to read the newspaper, because he was interested in everyplace he had been.
Dan started sailing at age 8 on Menemsha Pond, and retired from racing Sunfish at age 80. When he announced his retirement, many of his fellow sailors asked him to sail with them, and he continued racing, in larger vessels, until a few years ago. He once stated that the most important thing he learned while at MIT was how to race small boats. Charlie Shipway, Olympic and Menemsha Pond sailor, sent this greeting in September: “Happy Birthday, to the fastest man on the pond, ever!” Dan loved racing, and would respond in one of two ways to queries as to the day’s racing results: “It was OK”, meaning he had won, or “Not so good,” meaning he came in lower than first.
Bringing up his daughters in Mamaroneck, N.Y., Dan was a favorite of the neighborhood children. On any given weekend, he could be found making a viewer for the solar eclipse, planning a treasure hunt, sledding down Warren Avenue, or helping with the neighborhood baseball games. He set a great example to his children, and more recently his grandchildren, of what a man should be: thoughtful, compassionate, and giving. Dan didn’t believe in gender stereotypes, and spent time at home cooking, gardening, and vacuuming, as well as doing some of the worst plumbing and carpentry around.
Although his life was very active physically and mentally, many of his best memories were of being on the Vineyard sitting and looking — sunset in Menemsha, sunrise over Lucy Vincent Beach, the meadow from his home in Chilmark, and the views from the homes of his many wonderful friends here.
Dan was proof that good things do happen to good people — he had a wonderful first marriage to Patricia Jean Duncan, who predeceased him, and then was lucky enough to marry his college sweetheart 52 years later.
A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, May 21, 2016, at the Chilmark Community Center. More information will be available later. In lieu of flowers, donations in Dan’s name can be made to Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, P.O. Box 1748, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 (hospiceofmv.org).
Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Visitccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.
Walter was a veteran of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in the Korean War. He earned a B.A. in English and an M.S. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Minnesota. He also received a certificate from the Sorbonne University in Paris. In his career Walter received many awards, including the Gannett Foundation Medal for Distinguished Achievement in Journalism and Mass Communication, the African-American Media Association Award, and the office of Cruise Palmer Distinguished Professor in Journalism at Kansas State University.
