Roberta Tilton (“Bobbie”), 83, of Oak Bluffs, passed away on July 2, 2020, at the Rhode Island Hospital. She was the wife of Stephen Whipple Tilton, who passed away in 2009. 

Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, July 11, from 12 pm to 1 pm at Chapman, Cole, and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, Oak Bluffs. Burial will follow at New West Side Cemetery in Edgartown. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Roberta’s memory can be made to Polly Hill Arboretum, P.O. Box 561, West Tisbury, MA 02575, or online at pollyhillarboretum.givecloud.co. 

A complete obituary will be published at a later date.

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Madeline C. Moreis (“Midge”), 83, of Vineyard Haven, passed away on July 5, 2020 at her home. 

Madeline was born on Feb. 10, 1937, in her family home in Tisbury to Mary Silvia and Peter Moreis. She was their third daughter, and their eighth child. Mary had another daughter, then later remarried Julio Araujo, and went on to have another nine children, blending their families into one Moreis Araujo tribe. Growing up on Summer Street was challenging. With 15 surviving children, all the kids were expected to help on the farm and with household chores. They worked hard from an early age, but they also had lots of laughs, sharing bicycles, cars, and bedrooms, always putting family first.

Midge was most proud of her children and grandchildren. With Wendy, she shared her fierce devotion to raising resilient children and her love of cooking. Through Leigh, you could find that devilish laugh and lovable sense of humor. She taught Wanda devotion and unconditional love for those in her family and her community. She would light up whenever her grandsons came to visit, making sure they were well-fed, with lots of laughs in the house.

As a single mother of three kids, life wasn’t always easy for Midge. But she never complained, making sure to always support her children in whatever they chose to endeavor. She worked tirelessly to provide for her family, working many long hours as a housekeeper. She worked at the Ocean View Restaurant for more than 20 years, and loved being part of the extended Jackson clan. Her private clients were family to her as well, and she loved filling her home with their gifts of art and china.

Like most proud Cape Verdean women, Midge LOVED to cook, and was known for making the best jag and potato salad in the family! In such a large family, holding this coveted title was an honor. Midge helped to build her home, decorating it with only the finest things. She loved the color blue, and showcased that throughout her home with teapots, glasses, and vases. Midge took great pride in entertaining. She planned every detail of her get-togethers meticulously, throwing epic theme parties on her patio. There were tea parties, hat and dance parties, with endless buffets of food where guests often got their own goodies to take home.

Midge was at her happiest when she was spending time with family, and was especially close to her sisters Anna Mae, Cynthia, Lena, and Josephine. Affectionately referred to as “the Tisters” or “the Homies,” it was hard to find one without the others. Midge and Josephine are only a year and a half apart, so there are countless stories of those two getting into all kinds of trouble together as kids! Midge also thoroughly enjoyed her ladies’ staycations, and mother-daughter brunches thrown by her niece Marie. Midge was an enthusiastic singer with the choir at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, a proud member of the VFW’s ladies auxiliary, and a great addition to the Mary’s Girls bowling team.

Midge had a quiet strength about her, that showed as she faced several serious health challenges in the past few years. She battled back, when hope was fading, proving her resilient strength once again. Although not Native herself, Midge had a lot of Wampanoag relatives. There is a Wampanoag prayer that says each of us has our own path to travel, our own gift to share. Each one is special, and each one of us is a special gift to each other, because we’ve got something to share. Midge shared with all of us her charm, her laughter, her strength, and her ability to care for others.

Madeline is survived by her children, Wendy Moreis and her husband Leroy Gonsalves, Leigh Moreis Vanderhoop and his wife Christy, and her daughter Wanda Moreis; her grandchildren, Joshua Moreis and his wife Elysia, Anthony (“A.J.”) Gonsalves, Damien Gonsalves, Jeffrey Duarte, Isaac Vanderhoop, and Levi Vanderhoop; her great-grandson Tyler Moreis; her siblings (in birth order), Anna Mae Cecilio, James Moreis, Josephine Tucker, Joseph Araujo, David Araujo, Adalena (“Lena”) Vanderhoop, Julio Araujo, and John Araujo. She was predeceased by both her parents, and by her siblings Raymond Moreis, Peter Moreis, Billy Moreis, T.M. Araujo, Paul Araujo, and Cynthia Viera. She also leaves behind a myriad of Moreis Araujo nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

Visiting hours will be held Thursday, July 9, from 5 to 7 pm at Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, in Oak Bluffs. A graveside service will follow the next day, Friday, July 10, at 11 am, at Oak Grove Cemetery in Vineyard Haven. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a celebration of Midge’s life will be scheduled at a later date, when it is safe to do so. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in Midge’s memory to Martha’s Vineyard Hospital Development Office, P.O. Box 1477, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. Donations will help pay patients’ outstanding medical debt.

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Herbert N. Bianchi, 91, of Vineyard Haven died on Saturday, July 4, 2020, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. He was the husband of Osmana (Boschi) Bianchi. 

Herbert worked for Boston Edison Electric for 36 years. A committal service will be held in the Holy Cross Cemetery, 175 Broadway St. in Malden, on Saturday, July 11, at 12 pm; meet outside the mausoleum. Please arrive one hour prior at 11 am for a period of visitation. Please practice social distancing, and wear a mask at all times. 

Visit ccgfuneralhome.com for online guest book and information.

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Dr. C. Jack Coleman (“Jack”) of Edgartown, left us to be with his Lord on May 27, 2020, after spending his 86th birthday with his son Allyn and best friend Bells at CareOne in Newton. 

Jack was born on May 24, 1934, in Plainfield, N.J., to Henry Coleman and Eleanor Fisher Coleman (Oma), formerly of Kinston, N.C. He graduated from Plainfield High School, and was a regular member of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (the Rev. Canon Leroy Lyons), as were his mother and family, before leaving Plainfield. 

Jack served two years in the Army, and later married his wife, Alice Louise Cruise. He attended Rutgers University, where he earned his Ph.D. In his early academic days, he was a high school teacher (German), track coach, college professor, and director of the EOF program for Rutgers University College of Education, and touched the lives of many while living in Plainfield, and the lives of others everywhere he went throughout his career and in retirement. Jack held numerous academic positions at prestigious universities, which included UC Berkeley, where he directed the Learning Center. He retired as an associate dean from Quinsigamond Community College, and moved to Martha’s Vineyard. 

While in Plainfield, Jack served as councilman, where he fought against racial injustice and for equality with his good friend Marshal Brown. In Plainfield, he was well-known among his Plainfield friends, which were family, on the tennis courts and golf course, and later well-known on the tennis courts and golf course (Mink Meadows) on Martha’s Vineyard, where he ran the Oak Bluffs tennis tournament in its greatest days. Jack loved reading newspapers and books, and time with his family and friends. His Saturday mornings were reserved for Linda Jean’s, where he regularly ate with his breakfast club. 

Jack was way more than just a loving husband, father, uncle, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He was an amazing, caring, and selfless man, and was something great and special to everyone. Like his mother, he loved everyone, whether deserving or undeserving, and always put the needs of others in front of his own, even during his final days. He made the world a better place for many of us with the sacrifices he made. His memory will live on in our hearts and in the hearts of many after him. 

He is survived by his wife Alice; sons Jack, Allyn, Peter; daughter Terilynn; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Jack was predeceased by his parents, Henry and Eleanor; his brothers Alfonso and Robert; and sister Carol. 

Special thanks to the staff at CareOne, Massachusetts General, Newton-Wellesley, and Spaulding Rehab hospitals and skilled nursing facilities; Morgan and Elise, who cared for him at home; Uncle Bells, who lifted his spirits when he was away from home at the hospital and nursing facilities, and during his final days; and our extended family and friends, who lifted his and our spirits during the toughest of times. 

A private memorial service was held for family members. In lieu of flowers, please light a candle and say a prayer for him.

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Donna Davey, 62, from Oak Bluffs, passed away in her home on June 3, 2020. 

A licensed clinical social worker, Donna was a member of the Island community for 40 years. She will be sadly missed by friends and family.

A full obituary will follow in another edition of this paper.

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Nancy Safford, 74, from Sedona, Ariz., died July 10, 2020, of cancer. 

 She grew up spending summers on the Vineyard, and was a full-time resident from the late 1960s through the 1970s. She authored “Time’s Island: Portraits of the Vineyard,” an Island history. 

A full obituary will follow in another edition of this paper.

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Samuel H. Stevenson of West Tisbury died at his home on Feb. 15, 2020. He was 83 years old. 

Sandy, as he was referred to, was born in New York City, N.Y., on August 12, 1936, the first of three children of Robert Alston Stevenson Jr. and Georgina Woods Stevenson. As a boy he lived in New York City, and spent summers at the family home in West Tisbury. It was here, at the Vineyard, that he learned his love of sailing. When home on summer break from school, he worked summers sailing boats to and from Florida, and working for Mr. Goodale. He loved to reminisce about his summers on the Vineyard as a child and young adult.

He began his education at the Allen-Stevenson School in New York, and transferred to Choate College Preparatory, graduating in 1954. He entered Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., to study biomechanical engineering. While at RPI, he met his bride, Kathleen Marseilles Selover, who attended Russell Sage in Troy. After his graduation at RPI with the class of 1957, he married his college sweetheart Kathleen on Feb. 14, 1958. After a short honeymoon, he returned to enter the U.S. Marine Corps in March 1958 as a second lieutenant. He served 18 years, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V,” Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal with 4 stars; Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star. He served overseas in Okinawa, Japan, and Vietnam.

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Sam remained in Northern Virginia, and worked as a defense contractor. In 1988, he retired and returned to the family home in West Tisbury. After his return to the Island, he worked as a bookkeeper and accountant. He passed the special enrollment examination of the IRS in 1986, and opened Stevenson Tax Service. He and Kathleen were devoted members at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Over the years on the Vineyard he could be found at the early morning men’s “coffee talk” at Conroy’s Apothecary, and making his 10th daily trip to the Post Office. Over the past couple of years, he enjoyed his time being at home, in the solitude of Indian Hill Road.

He was predeceased by his wife, Kathleen, and by his sister, Gina S. McEnany. He is survived by his two children, Scott and Rebecca, and his two grandchildren, Ryan and Shannon. 

Interment will be private in West Tisbury, with a celebration of life to be scheduled at a later date. Donations can be made to Martha’s Vineyard Hospice; hospiceofmv.org or P.O. Box 748, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568. 

For online guestbook and information, please visit ccgfuneralhome.com.

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Margaret Ditson left this world peacefully on July 9, 2020. 

Margaret was born on Nov. 6, 1952, the eighth child and only daughter of George R. Searle and Margaret A. Searle. She spent most of her early years on the Vineyard, and graduated from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. In 1982, she married Randy, the love of her life. Margaret loved to travel. She and Randy enjoyed visiting family all over the country and cruising to the Caribbean. 

With Margaret, her family was always first. With a family as large as hers, that meant her love and support spanned multiple generations. She was always there for anyone who needed advice, a shoulder to lean on, or had a problem that needed solving. For many of her nieces and nephews, Margaret was a constant presence, dependable, and like a second mother. She loved her family so much, and had an impressive collection of what must be thousands of photos documenting their lives for decades.

Margaret had a heart of gold. Her infectious laugh could be heard at every family gathering. She was the heart and soul of her extended Searle family, and her impact will never be forgotten.

Margaret was predeceased by her parents, and by her brothers George, William (“Ross”), Stewart, David, Robert (“Bobby”), and James (“Jimmy”). Margaret is survived by her husband Randy; their son Howie and his wife Jessica, and their children Xander, Kaia, and Hailey; her stepdaughter Janette McKenzie and her husband Wes, and their daughter Taylor; her brother Alex and his wife Deborah; and so many nieces and nephews. 

A graveside service for the burial of her remains will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Visit ccgfuneralhome.com for online guestbook and information.

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Barbara C. Beichek, 68, died unexpectedly on July 6, 2020, at her home in Oak Bluffs. Private services will be held at a later date, and a complete obituary will follow in another edition of this paper. 

Arrangements are under the care of the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Visit ccgfuneralhome.com for online guestbook and information.

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Robert Lamb (“Bob”) died at home in Silver Spring, Md., and entered eternal life on the morning of May 28, 2020. He was 83, and had been battling cancer and other illnesses for many years. 

Bob was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on Oct. 10, 1936, and was the second child and only son of Robert and May O’Horo Lamb. He graduated from St. Mungo’s Catholic School, and went on to higher studies, graduating with degrees in marine mechanical and electrical production engineering from Paisley Tech College and the Stow College Division of the Royal College of Science and Engineering. He received his chief engineers license for steam diesel and gas turbine ships during that time. He worked for five years in the Lobnitz Shipyards in Glasgow before coming to America to work as a plant engineer for a division of Norton Abrasives in Troy, N.Y., in 1962. Shortly after arriving in America, he met the love of his life, Virginia (“Ginny”) Mary Gravesen, at the Scottish Games, and they were married on Oct. 5, 1963.

Bob went to work for the General Electric Corp. in 1966, putting his extensive knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering to work in their turbine divisions. Bob and Ginny lived in Leominster, where they welcomed their first two children, Iain and Margaret, before being relocated in 1972 to the San Francisco Bay Area, where they lived in Moraga, Calif., and welcomed their youngest son, Roderick.

Bob was the service manager for GE’s marine engine division in San Francisco until 1979, when he was asked to relocate the family to Geneva, Switzerland, to join GE’s newly formed european naval and aircraft engine division. A few years later, the family returned to the U.S., to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Bob worked at GE’s headquarters in Evendale. 

Bob and Ginny and their family fell in love with Martha’s Vineyard during summer vacations, and purchased a summer and future retirement home in Oak Bluffs in 1985, when Bob was asked to move to Toulouse, France, to Airbus Industries headquarters as GE’s general manager of sales and advanced technology. 

He officially retired from GE in 1998, after 32 years of service, and moved permanently to the family’s home on Martha’s Vineyard. 

An avid collector of marine art, ship models, and scrimshaw, he and Ginny became partners with the owner of Edgartown Scrimshaw, and helped expand the store on Main Street selling marine-themed art, scrimshaw, and other collectibles. He was also actively involved in historical preservation efforts, and worked on the restoration project for the SS Nobska Ferry that had served Martha’s Vineyard for many years.

In 2005, Bob and Ginny moved to the Ticonderoga, N.Y., area in Putnam Station for health reasons, and to be closer to his two sisters, who also lived in the area. Bob was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and numerous professional societies. He gave many lectures on historical events and marine history throughout his retirement. As his health conditions worsened, he and Ginny moved to Leisure World in Silver Spring, Md., in 2019 to be closer to their oldest son to help them out while he awaited his final move to eternal life.

Bob was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, and was a devout Roman Catholic all of his life. He made friends everywhere he went, and always left a lasting impression. He was very proud of his Scottish heritage, and played the bagpipes and drums in bands in his younger years.

Bob is survived by his wife, Virginia, of nearly 57 years, his daughter Margaret, and his two sons, Iain and his wife Padmaja, and Roderick and his wife Tali. He is also survived by his two sisters, Margaret Carroll and Sheila Lamb, as well as his four grandchildren, Iain’s daughters, Sarina and Marisa, and Rod’s son and daughter, Finneas, and Orianna. 

His final wishes were to be cremated and his remains kept in a container with the engraving, “Dear Lord, this is Scottie! Please beam me ‘UP’!”

A remembrance of his life and memorial service will be held for him with his family and close friends at a later date.

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Local Vineyard landscape artist Mary S. French, née Stokes, died on June 29, 2020, at 92 after a long illness. 

Born in Vermont, and raised on the East Coast, Mary had a deep love for her family and the beauty of the natural world: “I find the world to be a fascinating and beautiful place to be: filled with varied colors, shapes, and space. I must try — to my limits — to capture as much as I can, for as long as I am here.”

Formed in early childhood, her love of art and literature followed her throughout her school years. She graduated with a degree in art and English literature from Skidmore College. It was at Skidmore that she met George M. (“Jim”) French Jr., who would later become her husband.

Her long ties to Martha’s Vineyard began as the result of her Stokes grandparents living part of each year at their home in Lambert’s Cove. Mary lived on the Island year-round with her late sister Ellen Stokes and their parents from 1942 until her marriage in 1950. 

Soon after their marriage, Mary and George moved to Colorado when he was called back from the reserves to serve with the 10th Mountain Division during the Korean War. It was in Colorado that her daughter Ellen, and son Mark were born. After Jim’s military service ended, the couple decided to remain in Colorado. During this time, Mary continued to hone her artistic skills.

After a move to Albuquerque, N.M., in 1965, Mary began exhibiting her artwork and studying with well-known artists from the Southwest. A prizewinner, Mary appeared regularly in juried shows in New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona.

In 1967, Mary moved with her family to Denver, Colo., and continued to pursue her art career. Here she exhibited her work, juried art shows, and became a founding member and later president of the Gaylord South Gallery. At that time, her preferred mediums were watercolors and oil, but she came to love the versatility of landscape painting in acrylic.

When her husband retired, the two made the move to live permanently year-round in the Vineyard family home in Lambert’s Cove. She became a member of the Copley Society of Boston, and held the distinction of the society’s title: Copley Artist. Her work has been shown at the Featherstone Center for the Arts, Old Sculpin Gallery, Field Gallery, Granary Gallery, and the former Red Barn Emporium, as well as galleries on Nantucket and in Wellfleet.

Predeceased by her husband George M. and son Mark French, she is survived by her daughter, Ellen Bunch, and son-in-law Doyle, as well as her grandchildren: Brian Bunch and his wife Ginny, and granddaughter Amanda and her husband Jesse Cordova. 

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Betty Eddy, a longtime resident of Chilmark, died at her home on the Eddy Farm, Tuesday, June 30, at the age of 100 years and eight days. She passed on as she lived, surrounded by her family and animals. She loved Martha’s Vineyard as much as any place on Earth. 

Betty was introduced to the Vineyard by her husband, Welles (“Bud”) Eddy, in 1958. She was unfamiliar with the Vineyard, and had never heard of Chilmark: “It was the end of the world! And I loved it!” 

Betty (Elizabeth Austin King) was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1920, and spent her childhood in New Jersey and New York City. Her love of sailing and all things watery grew out of summers in Bellport, NY. She vividly recalled the bright September day in 1938, watching in awe as the bay flattened and emptied out, hours before the Great Hurricane made landfall. She attended the Dalton School and Masters School before embarking on a life in Manhattan in the midst of World War II. 

In 1945 she married Bud Eddy from Newington, Conn. After the war they moved to Kensington, Conn., where they lived for many years, raising their four children and an ever-growing number of dogs and cats, a crow, a pair of ducks, and Alice the alligator. Bet was a nurse’s aide at the New Britain General Hospital, eventually joining its board. At home she was an expert at sewing up hurt chickens. Her letters recounting these madcap years were collected in her 2012 book, “Letters from the Attic: Beloved Bedlam of Raising a Family in the 1950s.”

In 1994, Bet and Bud moved to the Vineyard year-round, and settled into their rambling cottage overlooking Chilmark Pond and the Atlantic. Bud died in 1995. Eight years later, Bet married her lifelong friend, Bill Lidgerwood, whom she’d known since 1939. Bill thought he could get Betty to spend winters off-Island, but she would have none of it. She persuaded Bill to move full-time to Chilmark, where he was soon hauling recycling to the dump in his pickup truck, picnicking in Menemsha, and adjusting to the Island rhythm. They enjoyed an active life together until Bill’s death in 2011. 

Bet was intimately involved with the Women’s Symposium, an annual spring and fall gathering of more than 300 Island women. Her introductions and closing stories became legend.

She was a first-class raconteur, and an even better listener. She made everyone she met feel special, and wanted to know everything about them. Her sense of the ridiculous was contagious. 

There are so many Betty Eddy stories and witticisms. Every trip to the old Chilmark dump was a treasure hunt. A visiting young friend calling to his mother who’d arrived to pick him up after an overnight: “Mom, Mom! You have to come inside this house! Everything is from the dump!” Sitting in her garden with one of her grandchildren, watching planes flying high in the sky, she commented she “wished someone would throw us down a ginger ale.” When confronted with a problem, her advice was often, “Let it lay where Jesus flung it!” Her default setting was social: “The ice can’t twinkle too soon!” She loved clamming in the island’s ponds, spending time with her dogs, and came to know every inch of the Eddy Farm.

She was a notoriously lax housekeeper, and considered cooking an inconvenience, but she was an excellent sailor, fisherman, gardener, and letter writer. She was, in her own words, “devoted to family, friends, animals, cream cheese, herring in sour cream, rare meat, butter pecan ice cream, and Dunkin’ Donuts.” As she got older, and her world shrank to her view of the sea, all she wanted was to be with her family, friends, her devoted animals, her evening gin, and “the latest news.” As one neighbor wrote, “She struck all of us as a presence from another time, not out of touch by any means, but worldly in the way people who grew up the first half of the 20th century can be.”

Bet is survived by her son William Eddy and wife, Eileen Walsh, and Bill’s son Sam Eddy and his son Grey, and daughter Eliza Schuab, her husband Timothy Schaub and daughters, Claire and Audrey, and Eileen’s children, Elizabeth Schule, Patrick Schule and Patrick’s son, Svend; Onnie and Andrew Palmer and their sons, Tony and Luke, Luke now deceased; Lisa White and husband Peter White and son Beach; Susan Eddy and daughters Dinah and Marcella Andrews and Dinah’s son Dominick d’Assis. Bet also leaves Steven Fischer and Paul Sutherland, close friends of the Eddy clan, living on the farm.

Donations can be made to Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard at hospiceofmv.org.

There will be a private graveside service.

“I look back and say, Elizabeth, how could you have been so smart to move here? How can I be so blessed? We live such a simple life here, but it is enough. For me, this is heaven.”

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Longtime Island resident Grace (“Phronsie”) Vibberts Conlin passed away peacefully at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital on Thursday, July 9, a few hours before her 101st birthday. She was born in New Britain, Conn., on July 10, 1919, to Frank Gerald Vibberts and Grace Chamberlain Vibberts, the youngest of five children, after Eleanor, Frank, Anna, and Jack. 

Phronsie first came to the Vineyard in 1922 when her parents rented a house in Harthaven. In 1930, they purchased a home overlooking Harthaven Harbor, where she grew up among a large extended family and learned the essential Vineyard skills — to swim, fish, clam and sail. 

She attended the New Britain Elementary School; Mooreland Hill School in Kensington, Conn.; and Abbott Academy in Andover. She graduated from Smith College in 1941. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and almost immediately Phronsie enlisted in the Navy as a WAVE (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and was sent back to Smith for Officers Training School, then to Mount Holyoke College to study encryption and finally to New York, where she coded messages sent to ships at sea. 

In 1951, she married Edward J. Conlin Jr. and they had three children, Phronsie Ann; Edward Joseph Conlin III, better known as Jed; and Frank Vibberts Conlin. Phronsie raised the children in Middle Haddam, Conn. Their house faced the Connecticut River, and from a wide verandah they sat contentedly after work watching the boats go by. 

In 1981, her husband Ed passed away. Seven years later, with the encouragement of her lifelong friend Ba Dutton and many others, Phronsie built her own home in Harthaven, where she spent the rest of her life. She was always busy. She volunteered at the Chicken Alley Thrift Shop until shortly after her 96th birthday. She loved to record family history and the doings of many friends, keeping files of newspaper clippings, photographs, and correspondence. Her mother, Grace Vibberts, was a gifted artist, and so with the help of her good friend, Beth Tveit, Phronsie archived her paintings and created a website featuring much of her work. She was an avid gardener well into her late nineties.

 On July 10, 2019, Phronsie celebrated her 100th birthday at the Portuguese-American Club. About 250 of her friends attended. She stood for hours in a receiving line welcoming her guests and chatting with each of them. “I remember her going around and having the best conversations,” her cousin Martha Abbot recalls. “She had a very wide network of friends because she was interested in everyone, and could keep track of so many people’s lives and the details about them.” 

In the few days since her passing, a flood of memories has arrived. Here are some of them:

“She was funny, always with an amusing tale to tell,” says her cousin Val Hart. “She was a great listener. You had her full attention as if you were the only person in the room. She was inspiring in the way she lived a vigorous life even in old age. She went out in style, youthful to the end.” 

Niklas Hart, a cousin, was born in Norway, and knew little about his American family other than the photographs his father, Kim Hart, had shown him. When he visited the island in 2009, Phronsie took him by the hand. “I never really knew the family tree that well, but through Phronsie I got a better picture of it, and got to know the family stories. She would make the people in the pictures come alive. She would narrate the newspaper clippings and old family Christmas cards that she had stored in her basement. She made me feel like a real part of the family.” 

“I would go to visit her thinking I was doing it to lift her spirits,” says Martha Abbot, “and she always lifted mine! She made me laugh a lot. Her mind was so sharp, and she was so engaged in life!”

 A lifelong friend, Emy Thomas, wrote this poem:

Phronsie has the biggest heart,

loving people is her art.

Phronsie has the biggest laugh,

Having fun’s her other half.

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Duncan MacDonald, 104, died on July 18, 2020, at the Henrietta Brewer House in Vineyard Haven. 

Duncan was an accomplished writer and interviewer, active in radio and in the early days of television in New York and Boston. She moved to the Vineyard in 1976, where her work continued. She was a founding member of the Scottish Society of Martha’s Vineyard, which paid tribute to her in May, and was involved in Scottish pursuits nationally. 

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, August 1, at 1 pm, at the Oak Grove Cemetery, State Road, in Vineyard Haven. A full obituary will follow in a future edition of this paper.

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Herbert N. Bianchi passed away peacefully at his home in Vineyard Haven on July 4, 2020. 

He was born on April 1, 1929, in Springfield. Herbert was a retired fossil fuel mechanic for Boston Edison Electric Co., where he worked for 36 years. Herbert proudly served our country during the Korean War from 1951 to 1953, when he was discharged with the rank of corporal. After his retirement, Herbert enjoyed working in the garden, producing tomatoes and other vegetables worthy of the Agricultural Fair. 

He married and is survived by Osmana (Boschi) Bianchi, his loving wife of 62 years. He is also survived by his daughter, Irene (Bianchi) Hatch, son-in-law, John L. Hatch, his granddaughter, Elizabeth Rose Hatch, his sister, Anna (Bianchi) Zorzoli, and several nieces and nephews. 

A committal service was held at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden on Saturday, July 11.

The family would like to thank everyone for their loving support during this difficult time.

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William D. Higham, 69, of Oak Bluffs, passed away on July 19, 2020, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. He was the husband of Cynthia M. Silva-Higham. 

A full obituary will follow in another edition of this paper. 

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Shirley MacKay Hall, 92, of Braintree, died on July 19, 2020.

Shirley was born in Quincy to James and Mary MacKay. She grew up in Quincy, and attended Quincy High School. In her early years, Shirley worked for the New England Telephone Co. before raising her five sons. She was an amazing mother and grandmother who prioritized her family; she could often be found traveling with them. Shirley enjoyed many years collecting and selling antiques with her husband on Martha’s Vineyard at the Chilmark Flea Market, where she was known for her vintage linens.

Shirley was the beloved wife of the late Joseph F. Hall, retired Braintree fire chief. She leaves behind her five sons: Brian Hall, and his wife Eileen of Eagle, Colo.; James Hall of Palm Beach, Fla.; Richard Hall, and his wife Gail of Hingham; Barry Hall, and his wife Fran of Weymouth; and Peter Hall, and his wife Helen of Oak Bluffs. Shirley was the dear sister of the late Allan MacKay and sister-in-law of Elaine Turpel of Bridgewater. She was the proud and devoted grandmother of nine: Joseph, Jeffrey, William, Patrick, Lucy, Kit, Sarah, Charlotte, and Emma MacKay. She was the lifelong friend of Ginny Jackson of Quincy. Shirley is also survived by extended family and many close friends.

All funeral services shall be private. Family and friends may still offer their support by visiting keohane.com and sharing a special memory or message. For those who cannot access the website, please call 781-335-0045 to have your message added.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Shirley to Reach Inc., 20 Middle St., Plymouth, MA 02360, or at reachinc.net. 

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Veronica Bernadette Richter, born on July 9, 1945, died on July 11, 2020.

Veronica and her husband, Joseph H. Richter, enjoyed living in Boca Raton and Martha’s Vineyard, creating treasured memories with family, friends, and community. 

Veronica was mother to Jude-Ann Prisco, Danielle Carlsen, and Joseph Richter; sister to Gail Maher, John Hyde, Erin Brown, and Mary Pierrard; grandmother to Brittany, Joseph, Chad, Ryan, Roy, Nicholas, Arianna, Joseph, and Anthony; aunt to Gillian and Thomas; great-aunt to Ellie and Connor; and friend to Carol, Hyacinth, Magaline, and Unice. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mae Volen Senior Center, 1515 West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33486, which provides services, support, and information to the community; and/or to the Tabernacle Restoration Fund, MVCMA, P.O. Box 1685, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557, which is the heart of the community, providing cultural, religious, and community programs.

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Thomas N. Sullivan, a.k.a. “Sully,” of Vineyard Haven, left his earthly body on July 26, 2020, after a brief bout with brain cancer, and now resides in our hearts. A full obituary will follow in a later edition of this paper.

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David L. Landers Jr., 39, of Monroe, Maine, passed away on July 23, 2020, at his home, surrounded by family, after a long and courageous battle with brain cancer.

He was born July 4, 1981, in New Bedford to David Landers Sr. and Jeannie (Mercier) Landers (Hobby), both of Dukes County. He grew up on Martha’s Vineyard, and became a very skilled woodworker and carpenter. He ran a successful roofing and siding business on Cape Cod for years, and enjoyed continuing to work professionally with his father. In 2008 David and his family moved to Jackson, Maine. David enjoyed the outdoors, and shared that love with his wife and children.

David could always be found playing outside with his children, as well as any neighborhood children. He was a very loving husband, uncle, and most of all, Dad. 

He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Herbert and Clair Mercier, and paternal grandparents, Leslie and Viola Landers. Survivors include his wife, Jessica Landers, whom he married May 25, 2002; children Jacob Rose, Devin Landers, Justin Landers, Lacey Landers, all of Monroe; his parents David L. Landers Sr. and Jeannie (Mercier) Hobby and their spouses; father-in-law Kenneth Rose of Jackson; siblings Danielle Kopsaftis (Ted), Suzanne Landers (Evan), Katie Cahoon (Todd), Erin Duarte (Ted), all of Orlando, Fla., Andrea Martinez (Ricky) of St. Petersburg, Fla., Angela Aranjo (Roberto); John Aranjo (Alex) of New Bedford; and many very special nieces, nephews, cousins, and auntys and uncles.

David’s family would like to extend very special thanks to Hospice Volunteers of Waldo County, Monroe Community Church, Monroe Lions Club, and countless community members for their love and support through this difficult time. 

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, July 30, 2020, at 1 pm at Riposta Funeral Home, 182 Waldo Ave., Belfast, Maine, followed by a celebration of life for close family and friends at the Landers home. 

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at ripostafh.com.

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