Robin Schoener, 67, of Oak Bluffs, died on Feb. 3, 2021, after a long and valiant fight with cancer. Robin grew up in Western New York, and after living in several other countries including Egypt, Belgium, and Brazil, settled in Boston.

Robin came to Martha’s Vineyard in 2016 to take care of her friend Bob Jacobs in his last days. After his death, she decided to retire to Martha’s Vineyard permanently because of the loving friends and community that she took comfort in. She joined the Community Choir and the Island Grown Gleaning Initiative. 

She also enjoyed being a member of the Bend in the Road Book Club. Robin loved getting to know the Island, and with her close group of friends she enjoyed many outings to all the Island events before she became ill. She was talented on many levels, including weaving, needle point and singing. 

Robin also loved connecting with people of all ages. Making new friends while shopping at the grocery store or taking a walk on her block was as important as the errand itself. She had a quick and easy humor that kept her and those around her laughing, even when her health was clearly on the decline. 

Robin was a lifelong student of languages, and spoke five languages fluently. She held a B.A. in education from Fredonia State University, an M.B.A. from Simmons School of Management, and in 2016 she earned a B.A. in linguistics from Harvard University Extension School. 

In her last days she was lovingly cared for by Susan Nugent of Hospice, and by her caretaker, Lilly Easter.

Robin was the daughter of Fred and Jean Schoener. In addition to her brother Rick Schoener, sister Melissa Mitchell, and cousin Wendy Schoener, she is survived by her close group of friends, Jan Campbell, Margaret Curtain, Maryann Heller, Fran Newton, Hilda Spann, and Kathi Pogoda, and her honorary granddaughter, Hunter Creanga, daughter of Adriana Ghidu and Cosmo Creanga. 

Robin was laid to rest in the Oak Bluffs cemetery. To make a tribute by way of donation to VNA Hospice, please go to vnacarenetwork.ejoinme.org/vnacare. 

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E. Brady Aikens passed away on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021, at 85, from prostate and bone cancer. 

Brady served in the Air Force as an MP overseas in the 1950s, and lived in many East Coast states before settling on Martha’s Vineyard year-round. He turned his family home in Oak Bluffs into Brady’s NESW, and became a loving and dedicated innkeeper. A majority of his guests were repeat visitors; he loved watching the children grow over the years, and he developed lifelong friendships with many of the guests. Brady was a consummate storyteller, loved his dogs, red wine, Powers whiskey, opera, live theater and Broadway musicals, and all kinds of music. 

His favorite thing to do was 5 o’clock drinks on the porch, waving to people as they drove by. Guests at the inn as well as friends and neighbors frequently joined him. “Enjoy” was the word he will most be remembered for, And his catchphrase was, “Let your mind go barefoot.” He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, especially his Canonicus neighbors. He is survived by his son Todd, and his daughter Leigh of New Jersey, as well as two granddaughters.

We are deeply appreciative for all the caregivers who committed their time In the last year of his life. 

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John Estrella, 69, of Vineyard Haven, passed away on Feb. 27, 2021, at his home. 

Services will be private. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. A complete obituary will appear in a future edition of this paper. 

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Nelson deBettencourt (“Eric”) passed peacefully at home in California on Feb. 15, 2021, his 54th birthday, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving fiancée, Holly Bario, daughter Emily deBettencourt, and Holly’s children, Emma and Peter Bario, as well as his wonderful hospice nurse, Mary. 

Eric was born in Oak Bluffs on Feb. 15, 1967, to the late Nelson J. deBettencourt and Sandra Geddis deBettencourt. He attended the Oak Bluffs School and the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, where he graduated with the class of 1985. 

Everyone knew Eric for his great sense of humor and a huge heart. In the ’80s he carried his boombox down Circuit Ave., blaring the hits and brightening everyone’s day. He was the class clown of the class of 1985, an honor he loved and deserved. Teachers still to this day recall what a joy Eric was to have in class. 

Eric was a man of many trades, who somehow seemed to master them all. There wasn’t anything Eric couldn’t fix, build, or take care of. From his first job at Reliable Market to his last job with Verizon, there were many notable accomplishments along the way. He dabbled in construction, plumbing, and electrical work. In his most recent years, he was able to combine many of these skills and do caretaking on the Island, which he enjoyed thoroughly. Though he was skilled in many different areas of life, Eric’s true passion was for the people he cared about. 

Eric was a deeply committed and proud father, a devoted fiancé, a protective older brother, a funny and playful uncle, a caring son, and a loyal, true friend. Eric loved a good game of golf, and will be deeply missed by the many who were lucky enough to play with him. In recent years, Eric loved to travel and meet new people. He loved to dance and sing, and attended parties, especially the ones that allowed for an iconic selfie opportunity. For his 50th birthday he went to Hawaii, and declared Maui was the best place on earth besides Oak Bluffs. He thoroughly enjoyed his “football picks” group, and loved to watch every game of the season, including watching Tom Brady win his seventh Super Bowl. Eric made friends wherever he went, and maintained these relationships over the years. 

Eric is survived by his children, Emily and Ben, his fiancé Holly and her children, Emma and Peter, his mother Sandra, his sister Melanie (Mike) Marchand, and his brother Mike (Erin) deBettencourt, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his father, Nelson, who passed away last fall. 

Burial services will be private. A celebration of Eric’s life will be planned for later this year, when we can safely gather. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to advance cancer research at UCLA. Donations may be directed to the UCLA Foundation, Attn. Heidi Saravia, P.O. Box 7145, Pasadena, CA 91109-9903 or online – giving.ucla.edu/campaign/Donate.aspx?Fund=64439c. Please indicate the gift as in memory of Nelson Eric deBettencourt, and supporting Dr. Shuch — Kidney Cancer Research 64439C.

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On a chilly morning on Jan. 22, 2021, Joan Gentry Patadal died peacefully in the arms of her beloved daughter, Beatrice Patadal Pattarroyo. After the past 40 years, Joan bravely faced multiple catastrophic illnesses with humor, intelligence, understanding, and courage, with a positive will to live. 

In 1950, Joan was born to James and Beatrice Vanderhoop Gentry on the Island; she was the baby of the family. Joan’s father was in the Air Force, and was stationed at Stewart Air Force Base in New York, and in Germany, where he retired with the family, moving to Oklahoma in the winter and Martha’s Vineyard in the summer. The family eventually moved to the Island year-round. During the winter in Oklahoma, Joan had piano lessons, and her teacher recognized her talents. She entered Joan in the state championship, and Joan won second in the state.

During the summer for a number of years, Joan’s parents managed the Jose Giles Gift Shop in Edgartown. To expand their businesses, Bertha Giles offered her sister Bea a partnership in the store in Oak Bluffs, Indian and Mexican Crafts, where Joan grew up working until she had an opportunity to work at Sears year-round. Joan graduated from high school on the Island, and was the valedictorian of her class. During the summer after graduation, she attended a concert by Up With People, and auditioned to join the group. While living on the Island, Joan taught herself to play the guitar. She had a beautiful voice, but she decided to go to college. 

Meanwhile, Joan decided to work first at a corporation in Boston and then as an administrative assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital. Since one of her younger cousins was going to school in Utah, Joan was talked into attending school in support of her cousin. After a couple of years in school, Joan moved home, and worked with 17 other Aquinnah Wampanoags who attended a tribal ceremony pledging to work together for tribal federal recognition. Joan was selected as the first tribal administrator, and wrote the tribe’s first funded federal and state grants. 

While working, she met, married, and moved to Oklahoma. She had her daughter Beatrice, who was the sunshine of her life. After leaving her husband, she decided to go back to school to complete her degree. Immediately after completing it, she had an offer from Boston Indian Council to be the assistant finance officer and then finance officer. During her employment she was diagnosed with a progressive disease, and Joan felt that her daughter would have a better life growing up on the Vineyard than in Boston. At her going-away party, her boss said that besides Wilma Mankiller, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, Joan was the only person she knew who could pick up the phone and raise money for the center. 

At first she managed her parents’ store, and then she owned the business. Joan enjoyed working in the store, and loved the people in Oak Bluffs. She carved out a life that was happy for both her and her daughter. Apparently the medical community felt like she had a good handle on her progressive disease. They would call and ask her to meet with people who were recently diagnosed with it. 

After her father died, she and her mother cared for each other. They were surrounded by their extended family, who helped them whenever they were needed. Many thanks to Berta Welch, David Giles, Carla Cuch, Adriana Ignacio, Amera Ignacio, and Ona Ignacio and her sons Riley and Skyler, who lived on the Island; to Joan’s relatives, who visited when they came home, Barbara and Melvin Colby, Cynia and Thea Akins, Bobby and Beverly Macdiarmid, Jan and Steven Held, and Douglas and Linda Vanderhoop. Joan also had the support of her father’s side of the family, whom Joan visited when she lived in Oklahoma, and years of phone calls with Kathyrn Freeman and Doris Jean Proctor, both from Pryor, Okla. 

In addition to her family, she received assistance from the tribe, Ryan Malonson, Sarah Saltanstall, Angie Madison, Tnisha Chandler, Yovvone Michleson, June Manning, Christain Brown, Eleanor Hebert, Amika Datta, Brett Stearns, Trudy Vanderhoop, Michael Siletti, and Pam Melrose. The Vineyard Nursing Association and all its nurses, the physical therapist, the speech therapist, the social workers, and the home health aides provided excellent care for Joan. In addition, the Howes House and the health program in Oak Bluffs provided needed technical assistance. All the nurses and doctors at the hospital provided the medical assistance Joan needed, and the ambulance service came to the house and brought her to the hospital. They were wonderful in that time of emergency. The town of Aquinnah and its Police Department came in the middle of the night to rescue Joan; and the retired town clerk, Carolyn Weiner. We have learned that it really does take a village to assist the family in caring for a loved one. Joan was fortunate to have a loving family and a community who had the knowledge and skills and the heart to help with the care of Joan. 

Perhaps her daughter provided the most needed assistance, receiving a bachelor’s degree in nursing and caring for her mother the last three years of her life. Bea and her husband and children provided the love and care that Joan needed. Joan loved and cherished her grandchildren, and was thankful for all the help her son-in-law provided. The other vital person in Joan’s life was her best friend Marguerite Cook, who for years would talk to Joan day or night to support her efforts to live. 

Joan was the daughter of the late James and Beatrice Gentry of Aquinnah, the sister of the late Russell Gentry of Waterbury, Conn.; and the sister of Barbara Gentry of Aquinnah. Joan is survived by her daughter Beatrice, and her husband Fabian Pattarroyo and their three children Killion, Khloe, and Maria of Del City, Okla.; her brother Russell’s daughters, Adrian Gentry, and Nicole Gentry and her daughter Aydan. Joan’s extended family are Melvin and Barbara Colby and family of Cranston, R.I.; Bobby and Beverly MacDiarmid and family of West Virginia; Cythia and Thea Aikens of Roosevelt, Utah; Douglas and Linda Vanderhoop of White Rocks, Utah, and family; Jan and Steven Held and family of Millers, Md.; Adriana and Bruce lgnactio and family of Aquinnah; Carla Cuch and family of Aquinnah; David and Alicia Giles and family of Aquinnah; Berta and Vernon Welch and family of Aquinnah; Lewis Colby of West Tisbury; Micheal Colby of Cranston, R.I.; Brooke and Denis McKillop of Washington; Leslie and Rich Begert of Washington; and Debra and Kendell Russell of Washington. 

Because of the limitations we are living under at this time, her services were private.

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Glenn R. Hearn, 83, of West Tisbury, passed away on March 2, 2021, at his home. 

His burial will be held privately at the West Tisbury Cemetery. A complete obituary will appear in a future edition of this paper.

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Vera Shorter died at her home on Martha’s Vineyard on Feb. 26, 2021, with her two daughters nearby. She was born in Huntington, Long Island, to Sue Hendrickson and Claude Groves in 1922, and had celebrated her 98th birthday in December with her 97-year-old friend Betty Dixon. 

Her mother’s family lived on Long Island for over a hundred years, and were of Black American and Shinnecock stock. Her mother was a born musician, who with the help of her mother’s madam, learned to play the piano at an early age. Her father, 14 years older than her mother, was a WWI veteran who had fought in the 369th Infantry, commonly known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Due to the segregation of the American Army at the time, the 369th Infantry fought with the French, and won the Croix de Guerre for its heroism. Her mother’s musical talent would get the family through hard times by her work in nightclubs, bars, and churches. Vera was the youngest of three children, preceded by Eugene, also a musician and a cook, and Marie, her older sister, civil servant, and her stalwart support. Although her parents separated, she had a loving relationship with both, spending time in Brooklyn with her father and on Long Island with her mother. She always knew she wanted to make something of herself and help her community. 

At first, she was thwarted in this. She received a full scholarship to Plattsburgh College to study home economics. She learned this only years later, because her great-aunt Ada, jealous of Vera’s ambition, had intercepted and hidden the acceptance papers. Thinking she hadn’t been accepted, Vera enrolled in Alpha Business School in Brooklyn, and became a secretary, with the help of her sister. 

She always joked that in any event, she was better with words and numbers than with pots, pans, and needles.

The Forties were busy years. She married Rufus B. Shorter in 1943, a graduate of Lincoln University, a sergeant in the Army who served in North Africa and Italy. She participated in Brooklyn community life, helping youth groups, organizing concerts, recruiting Black celebrities to contribute to these activities, and, of course, working with the NAACP and ASALH (Association for the Study of African American Life and History). She also continued her training by studying accounting at Pace College, and later at Queens College. 

She and Rufus continued to move forward in their lives. They had two daughters, Lynn and Beth. Rufus worked as a teacher, then as an administrator at the N.Y. Board of Education, rising to the position of assistant superintendent of special education. Vera was hired as an auditor at the IRS, working her way up to office manager, group manager, and then equal employment opportunity officer. They were both the first African Americans to reach those positions. 

Vera enjoyed communicating, and often contributed articles to Black publications — Black Odyssey, Our World, and others. When the family moved to Saint Albans, Queens, she joined with Henrietta and Ella Ferguson to create a local newspaper called the Community Chatter. She was also president of the neighborhood civic association and the PTA.
The Shorters began visiting Martha’s Vineyard regularly in the late Sixties, renting in the summers, and eventually buying a summer home. They moved to the Vineyard permanently when Rufus became the superintendent of schools on Martha’s Vineyard in 1976. He was instrumental in coordinating the efforts to build the PAC (the Performing Arts Center at the high school) and revitalizing the Nathan Mayhew Seminars, while Vera organized and participated in many fundraising events like celebrity tennis, increasing her participation after Rufus’ sudden death in 1980.

Vera was tireless in her community work, joining not only the NAACP, where for years she chaired the legal redress committee, and ASALH, but also serving as president of the Lagoon Pond Association, and on the affirmative action committee of the schools, and the boards of the Nathan Mayhew seminars and the M.V. Hospital. She received many awards, among them the M.V. NAACP’s Humanitarian Award in 1996, and in 2009, the NAACP New England Chapter’s Living Legend Award.

She loved to read, and participated in two book clubs. Of the many loving comments book club members have made, Trudy Russell said, “When I think of Vera, I think of great ladies. The combination of brains and the ability to make everyone feel as wise as she was is rare and wonderful.” 

She also loved to entertain, and would tell all her friends that cocktail time was at 4 o’clock any day of the week. No holiday went uncelebrated, and since her birthday was near Christmastime, her house was opened to well-wishers. Her friends knew to expect a party the week after Christmas, and Vera would navigate through the crowd with a smile, a joke, and her natural warmth. 

She is survived by her two daughters and her grandson. Lynn Shorter is a retired senior lecturer of the University of Central Lancashire in England, and a poet whose manuscript “Singer in the Gray of Jean-Michel” was winner of the 2020 Slate Roof Press Chapbook Award/Elyse Wolf Prize. Beth Shorter Bagot, a retired Alvin Ailey dancer and language teacher, lives in France. Vera’s grandson, Gabriel Bagot, with M.B.A. in pocket, is currently working in the hotel business. She was always particularly close to her late sister Marie’s children, her niece Sheila Davis, nephew Dr. Michael Dunham, late nephew Ronald Dunham, late niece Zoe Dunham, and their children and grandchildren. 

As per Vera’s wishes, there will be no services, but a celebration of her life will occur at a future date. Friends wishing to make a donation in her name are invited to choose one of the following organizations: NAACP, ASALH, M.V. Hospital.

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Adelbert Ferreira (Delby) of Carson City, Nev., husband of Claire Ferreira, passed peacefully with his two sons, Kevin and Mark, and stepdaughter, Heather Hyde, by his side on Jan. 24, 2021, at age 72. 

He was born in Oak Bluffs to Richard D. Ferreira and Alice (Sylvia) Ferreira. He was the fifth of seven children, predeceased by a brother, Richard D. Ferreira Jr., and a sister, Norma (White) Ferreira. 

He joined the Navy in 1964; after his tour of duty he lived in Brockton for a while, then settled in California, working in a small town as an assessor, and moving to Nevada for the last couple of years of his life. 

He is survived by two brothers, Ronald D. Ferreira and Anthony (“Tony”) Ferreira, and two sisters, Sandra (Healy) Ferreira and Judith (Pachico) Ferreira, all of Martha’s Vineyard. He was the devoted father and grandfather of son Mark Ferreira and wife Dore, grandchildren Jocelyn and Jillian, son Kevin Ferreira and wife Mackenzie, grandchildren Mason and Morgan, and stepdaughter Heather. 

His final months he lived with his stepdaughter Heather Hyde, her husband Robert, and grandchildren Tommy, Lylah, and Aiden, all of Nevada and California. Heather was a great comfort to him in his final days. 

His son Mark will be bringing his ashes back to the Island, and sprinkling a part of them on the graves of his mother and father, with the remaining ashes spread at the ocean shore, where he always felt free.

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Glenn Hearn died peacefully at home in West Tisbury on March 2, 2021, of complications from Parkinson’s and heart disease. 

Glenn’s family moved to Vineyard Haven from Hyannis when Glenn was 3 years old. His wife of 60 years, Linda (Magnuson) Hearn, teased him that even though his roots on the Vineyard were very deep, he would never be a native like she was.

Glenn attended and graduated from Tisbury School in 1955. The Vineyard’s first football team was started in 1953. This was the first Vineyard sport to involve all three high schools. Glenn was quarterback of that team for his junior and senior years.

Glenn graduated from UMassAmherst in 1959 with a B.S. in electrical engineering. Glenn and Linda were married in November 1960, and celebrated their 60th anniversary last November. He received an M.S. in electrical engineering from Northeastern University in 1963, and a M.S. in education from Lowell University in 1974. During his engineering career, he worked at several firms in and around Boston. He also taught engineering to graduate students at Northeastern U. For the five years before he and Linda moved back to the Island, he taught computer science there.

They moved back to the Island in 1993, where he started building the house they lived in for more than 25 years. Very soon after he started living here, he became involved with the Agricultural Society building project, and went to New Hampshire as one of the Barn Busters, to take apart and bring back the barn that now houses the Agricultural Society, later becoming clerk of the works on the project as they rebuilt the barn and built outbuildings.

Glenn then taught in the math lab at the regional high school, and developed the hydroponics greenhouse and classes there.

Glenn served two terms as West Tisbury selectman. He was a longtime trustee of the Ag Society, the Land Bank representative from West Tisbury for 15 years, and was one of the original founders of the FARM Institute.

Glenn enjoyed fishing and hunting with his brothers in his younger years, winning many prizes in the Bass Derby, but never the big one, and he always came to the Vineyard to hunt during deer week. Glenn and his wife had a stand at the West Tisbury Farmers Market for more than 25 years, where his children and grandchildren enjoyed helping when they were here on vacation in the summer. His hobbies included gardening and woodworking, and making furniture. Glenn entered his vegetables and woodworking projects in the fair, and over the past 15 years, he enjoyed carving birds. He and his wife did some traveling in retirement, but he definitely preferred spending his time here in West Tisbury. He enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren, and was proud of their achievements and successes.

Glenn was predeceased by his parents, Kenneth and Eunice (Rogers) Hearn, and his brothers Kenneth and Kevin. He is survived by his wife, his son Mark and wife Renee, his daughter Susan and husband Timothy Collins, and his daughter Laura Hearn; and by six grandchildren, Emily, Jessica, Devon, Blake, Shaun, and Morgan. He also had many nieces and nephews.

Burial at the West Tisbury cemetery is private, with a Celebration of Life planned for a later date.
Donations in his name can be made to the M.V. Agricultural Society, P.O. Box 73, West Tisbury, MA 02575, toward a scholarship in his name for a graduating senior of the regional high school or the Charter School, for a student planning to study in the field of agriculture, or to the Parkinson’s Foundation. 

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Valerie Norton Murphy passed away on March 15, 2021, in Wellsboro, Pa. 

Valerie was born on Nov. 21, 1928, in Chilmark to Cyril and Goldie Norton. She was a lifelong resident of Chilmark until her later years, when she went into assisted living near her daughter Wanda and family. 

Valerie married Lynn C. Murphy, and had seven children; one died in infancy. She stayed at home with her children until they were grown, when she went to nursing school at Cape Cod Community College. She worked at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and the Visiting Nurse Association for a number of years. In her later years she worked in Menemsha at a small tourist store. 

Valerie loved the ocean, and spent many years on the beach or on Menemsha Pond with her partner Joe. She loved having family gatherings when her children were all on the island.

She is survived by four of her seven children, Dana of Daytona Beach, Fla., Wanda (Bert) Irion of Wellsboro, Pa., Brian (Jo Ann) of Vineyard Haven, and Sherry (Carl) Flanders of Menemsha; grandchildren Carl Jr., Melanie Flanders, Aubrey and Adele Irion, Kimberly Burke, Patrick and Amanda Murphy, and Matthew and Christa Murphy; and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.She was predeceased by her parents; by two children, Jay and Lee Murphy; and by her longtime partner, Joe Harkins.

Services will be private due to COVID.

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Edward Walter Larkosh passed away on March 14, 2021, at his home in East Providence, R.I. 

Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 20, at 12:30 pm, at the Chapman, Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road, Oak Bluffs, followed by a funeral Mass at St. Augustine’s in Vineyard Haven at 1:30 pm. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery in Oak Bluffs. 

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Frank Ferro, born at home on August 13, 1930, to Jennie (Magliato) and Louis Ferro, died from heart failure on Feb. 24, 2021. He was surrounded by the love of his family, and transitioned peacefully. 

The youngest of seven much older siblings, Frank was born and raised in the Bronx by illiterate parents, and attended DeWitt Clinton High School. As a child, he played stickball in the streets, and saved his money to independently attend home games at Yankee Stadium, where he sat in the bleachers with a scorecard. As a young teen, he developed a lifelong affection for jazz, and used his savings to buy 78s and to travel on his own to Manhattan (a world away) to see many of the jazz greats on 52nd St. 

Frank attended Goddard College, and following graduation in 1952, allowed himself to be drafted into the Army during the Korean War. He served stateside as a combat cameraman, and although he was stationed in Queens at the Sony soundstage, he spent his years in the Army traveling the country, including the documentation of atom bomb testing at Fort Desert Rock in Nevada. Following his discharge in 1954, Frank worked as a camera operator, proudly earning his union card in Local One. He received his master’s degree from the New York School of Social Work (now the Columbia University School of Social Work) in 1958, and embarked on a long career serving the well-being of others, especially youth. 

Frank’s first job was working with street gangs in New York City, and he rose to become a supervisor. During this period, he consulted on shooting locations for the film “West Side Story” with director Robert Wise, and won a Fulbright Award to study gang work in London and other parts of Europe. He later worked for the Office of Economic Opportunity in New York, and then for many decades as the associate director of the Children’s Bureau at Health, Education and Welfare (now HHS), where he developed legislation and programming for foster care, adoption, Head Start, and other federally administered child welfare programs. A colleague shared that “his achievements included Section 473 of the Social Security Act, which to this day helps adoptive parents of special needs children. Also, the development of the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the passage of the Adoption and Child Welfare Reform Act of 1980, enabling foster children to be adopted in a permanent home. I mention these legislative milestones to illustrate that 50 years later, hundreds of thousands of children and families have benefited from Frank’s vision and diligence. Franks leaves a beautiful legacy.” 

At a New Year’s Eve party as 1958 turned to 1959, Frank met the great love of his life, 19-year-old Ursula Marti. Ursula was raised on a farm in southern Ohio, and was working in NYC as an au pair. Within five and a half months, they were married — June 12, 1959 — and were inseparable from that time on. Frank always said that Ursula made him who he was and gave him all he had, including two daughters, Tova and Marta. 

Frank and Ursula lived in the West Village, with a year’s sojourn in London, and raised their family first in New York City and then in Chevy Chase, Md., on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., where they moved for Frank’s job at HEW. 

Frank and Ursula first came to Martha’s Vineyard for their honeymoon, in June 1959, when Ursula’s au pair family lent them their new home at the top of Christiantown Road (the only one on the road at that time). They bought their house nearby, on five acres in North Tisbury, in 1971, and over the ensuing years, created a beautiful family home to which they retired in 1995. In the late ’90s, they began to spend several months of the winter in warmer climes, first on Vieques, Puerto Rico, and then for almost 20 years in Santa Barbara, Calif. Wherever they were, Frank and Ursula forged deep and abiding friendships, and continued their lifelong love affair. 

Frank was a generous, sometimes boisterous, fun man who often hosted dinner parties, replete with curated jazz and animated discussion. He loved sharing a good meal accompanied by wine, reading (including the New York Times from cover to cover, every day without fail), theater, art, and rugs. He was independent until the end of his life, including driving and mowing his own five-acre lawn until 89 years of age. His life revolved around his family; he loved us unconditionally, and was a present and supportive presence in all of our lives. 

Frank is survived by his wife, Ursula Ferro, and their beloved dog Maisie, daughters Tova Ferro of New York City, her husband Mark Grandfield, daughter Ava Grandfield, and dog Nellie, and Marta Ferro of Los Angeles, her partner Ash Corson, her son Luca Gazzera Ferro, and dog Lio. 

Frank’s ashes will be interred privately at the West Tisbury Cemetery, with a celebration of his life to be held at a later date when we can gather together. If you wish, you can honor Frank by savoring time, even virtually, with those you love.

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Born Oct. 15, 1942, to Alan Edward Spongberg (1912–81) and Barbara Elsie Sandehn Spongberg (1912–08), Stephen Alan Spongberg died at home in Westwood on March 18, 2021, of complications related to oral cancer. 

Steve grew up in Rockford, Ill., attended Rockford College, and went on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where, in 1971, he earned a Ph.D. in botany. Steve’s professional positions included, in part, executive director of the Polly Hill Arboretum and curator of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, both emeritus positions at the time of his death. His primary research interests included magnolias and stewartias. His field studies took him to the Rocky Mountains, Japan, Korea, and the People’s Republic of China. He was the Arnold Arboretum’s participant in the 1980 Sino-American Botanical Expedition to western Hubei Province, PRC. Steve held many editorial positions over the years, including memberships on the editorial boards of Harvard Papers in Botany, 1996–98, and the Plantsman, 1996–2006. He was editor of the Journal of The Arnold Arboretum, 1979–90, and associate editor of Rhodora, Journal of the New England Botanical Club, 1972–78. Steve served on many committees, published numerous articles, and wrote several books, including “A Reunion of Trees: The Discovery of Exotic Plants and Their Introduction into North American and European Landscapes,” 1990, and “Island Life: A Catalog of the Biodiversity On and Around Martha’s Vineyard,” 2008, which he co-authored with Allan Keith.

Awards and recognition Steve received include the naming of the Polly Hill Arboretum Library in his honor, 2004; the Thomas Roland Medal of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 2001; the Veitch Memorial Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society, 1996; and the Award of Distinction from the Alumni Association of Rockford College, 1983. Two plant species new to science have been named in Steve’s honor, Cotoneaster spongbergii and Sorbus spongbergii. Steve enjoyed reading literature classics, and was a dedicated armchair traveler. He was a passionate collector of antiques and oriental rugs, and he had an impressive collection of botanical and natural history–themed postage stamps. He loved classical music and opera, particularly the works of Bach, Handel, and Wagner. He thrived on hikes and walks. Any garden he created was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Those who knew him best were treated to his subtle and often mischievous wit. He was an excellent chef, and his enthusiasm for cooking and his Swedish heritage expressed themselves each December, as he spent weeks preparing an elaborate Christmas Eve smörgåsbord for friends and family. Loved and respected by many, Steve was indeed a gentleman.

Steve is survived by his wife, Harmony (“Happy”) Clement Spongberg of Westwood, his daughter Harmony (“Nia”) Sandehn Spongberg, and daughter-in-law Margaret (“Mollie”) Leslie McDermott of Ann Arbor, Mich., and among others, his closest nephews, William Boggs of Tiverton, R.I., and Nathan Boggs of Beloit, Wis. Steve was predeceased by his sister Sondra Kay Spongberg Boggs (2012) and nephew Andrew Boggs (1987). 

A memorial gathering will be private. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to the Polly Hill Arboretum or the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.

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Kenneth M. Beebe (“Ken”), otherwise known as Dr. Play, 76, died unexpectedly at home in Vineyard Haven on Friday, March 19, 2021. 

Ken was the husband of Laura Williams Beebe and father of Christopher Beebe (Diana) and the late Karen Beebe. His services are private; a celebration of life will be held at a later date, and a complete obituary will appear in a later edition of this paper. 

Donations in Ken’s memory may be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association, 135 Parkinson Ave., Staten Island, NY 10305-1425, to the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, P.O. Box 494, Edgartown, MA 02539, or to stripersforever.org, 209 Winn Road, Falmouth, ME 04105. 

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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Mary Hill Tucker of Oak Bluffs died peacefully on March 14, 2021, at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, four days shy of her 103rd birthday

Mary was born on March 18, 1918, in West Chester, Pa., the fifth of six daughters of Leslie Pinckney Hill and Jane Clark Hill.

She graduated from West Chester High School in 1935. Upon graduation, Mary attended Howard University, pledged the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority, and pursued the academic nursing program. Ultimately, Mary finished her nursing degree at the Lincoln School for Nursing in New York City, making lifelong friends along the way.

In 1937, Mary married Herbert E. Tucker Jr. of Boston, and went on to a successful and fulfilling 25-year career as a R.N. at Massachusetts General Hospital.

As a young mother of two small children, Gwendolyn and Gretchen, she was fortunate to have a loving community of family to support her career endeavors. In time, she became the proud grandmother of two grandchildren; Gretchen M. Mercer and Richard (“Peter”) Gilbert Wharton Jr.

The Tuckers made homes in Roxbury and Wellesley for several years before moving full-time to Oak Bluffs in the late 1960s. On Martha’s Vineyard, Mary enjoyed the Inkwell as much as the East Chop Beach Club. Her collection of beach glass attests to the time she spent there. She also enjoyed gardening, playing bridge, reading, needlepoint, and being in the company of family and friends.

She was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, where she served on the Altar Guild, originated the idea for the Burgess stained glass windows, and donated the church steeple, but most memorably started the lobster roll program, which became a major fundraiser for the church.

Mary loved the Vineyard and credited her long life to living here with her doting husband of 70 years and for forming relationships with “young folk.”

Mary was predeceased by her husband Herbert, her daughter Gwendolyn Wharton and great-grandson Tristan Tucker Mercer. Among those left to celebrate her wonderful life are her daughter Gretchen Tucker Underwood, grandchildren Gretchen Mercer and Peter Wharton, her great-grandsons Jason and Brandon Mercer, nieces Judith Lindsay, Lila Rideau, Gail Snowden, and nephews Leslie Hill Nelson and Frank M. Snowden, and a host of great-grand-nieces and -nephews.

Because of COVID requirements, her service will be private, but available to all on webcam on Saturday, March 27. Starting at 12:30 pm, you may click on graceepiscopalmv.org. The actual service will begin at 1 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Grace Episcopal Church, Box 1197,Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.

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Hans Peter Stibolt Jr., 100, of Oak Bluffs, passed away peacefully at his home on March 4, 2021. He was the husband of the late Alma Muriel (Loerke) Stibolt. 

Hans is survived by his daughter, Nancy K. Newman of Oak Bluffs. A celebration of life will be held at a later date, and a complete obituary will follow in a future edition of this paper.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, online at hospiceofmv.org/donations, or by mail, P.O. Box 1748, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.

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William Anthony Gamson died peacefully in his sleep on March 23, 2021, in Brookline, at the age of 87. 

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Bill was educated at Antioch College and the University of Michigan, and taught at Harvard, the University of Michigan, and Boston College. He and his wife Zelda began coming to the Vineyard in the summer of 1966 from Ann Arbor, Mich., renting various houses in Chilmark, then bought land in 1975 on what is now called Boston Hill Road, completed their house in 1981, and commuted between the Island and their Boston jobs until their retirement. Bill served on the board of the Chilmark library as treasurer, and managed the Boston Hill Road Association. He loved sailing his Sunfish, paddling his poke boat, bodysurfing, and showing the Vineyard to visitors from other places in the world. 

Bill will be remembered for his distinguished career as a values-driven sociologist of social movements and media; the many influential books and articles he wrote; the simulation games he invented, including SIMSOC; his creation of a fantasy baseball league that became the seed for the fantasy sports industry; the generations of students he mentored; his passion for playing,

fomenting social change, collaborating, and dancing; and his love for and pride in his family.

He is survived by his wife and partner of 65 years, Zelda Finkelstein Gamson; his sister Mary Edda Gamson of Oakland, Calif.; his daughter Jennifer and son-in-law Steve of Newton; his son Joshua and son-in-law Richard of Oakland; and his grandchildren, Gilad, Ari, Maya, Reba, and Madeleine. 

Condolences may be sent to: Zelda Gamson, 1501 Beacon St., Apt. 601, Brookline, MA 02446. Donations in his memory can be made to: ACLU of Massachusetts, 211 Congress St., Boston MA, 02110; to National Resources Defense Council, P.O. Box 1830, Merrifield, VA 22116; or to Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104.

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Corrine Rogers, 66, died peacefully on Friday, April 2, 2021, at her home in Oak Bluffs. 

She was predeceased by her parents John and Phyllis (Gonsalves) Rogers, and is survived by her siblings, John, Dale, and Stephanie. A celebration of her life will take place at a later date, and a complete obituary will appear in another edition of this paper.

Arrangements are under the care of Chapman Funerals and Cremations, Edgartown Road, Oak Bluffs. Visit chapmanfuneral.com for online guestbook and information.

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Howard Scott Steward, 91, of Oak Bluffs, passed away on April 3, 2021, at his home. He was the husband of Patricia A. Steward. 

A memorial service will be held at a later date, and a complete obituary will appear in another edition of this paper. 

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Clara Silva Rabbitt died peacefully on Sunday, April 4, 2021, at her home in Vineyard Haven, a few months shy of her 100th birthday on Sep. 13, 2021. She was the wife of Owen J. Rabbitt. 

Her funeral service will be held at Chapman Funerals and Cremations, Edgartown Road, in Oak Bluffs on Saturday, April 17, at 1 pm, and her burial will be private. A complete obituary will appear in another edition of this paper. Visit chapmanfuneral.com for online guestbook and information.

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