Fetched: January 2nd, 2009, 4:00pm EST
Many vibrant Outer Cape personalities were lost in 2008. And, unfortunately, in this limited space we can only touch on a few.
First off, we note Al Avellar, Pat Schultz, David “Dixie” Federico and Robert Martin Sr.
Avellar, founder of the first whale-watching fleet on the East Coast, the Dolphin Fleet, died on Nov. 3 at the age of 90. A fisherman, sailor (on the schooner Hindu) and all-around salt, the Provincetown native made an indelible impression on those who knew him and will be remembered for his buoyant soul and cheerful, outgoing manner.
Schultz died on Aug. 10 at the age of 78. She was not only a major presence in the Provincetown real estate industry but a quiet benefactor to local arts and health care organizations, helping the fledgling AIDS Support Group and Outer Cape Health Services get on their feet and becoming instrumental in the renovation of the Provincetown Art Association & Museum. She cared deeply about the town; one would always find her poised close to the microphone at Town Meeting. Schultz died just a year after tying the knot with her partner of 42 years, Lenore Ross.
The sudden, tragic death of Federico in early May came as a shock to the community. Former waiter and manager of the Post Office Café and a two-time candidate for board of selectmen, the effervescent Federico, a longtime Provincetown resident, will be remembered for his ability to make people laugh and his generous and colorful spirit.
A former Truro selectman, Cape Tip native Robert Martin Sr. died unexpectedly on Sept. 12. Martin was a veteran of the Korean War and an active public servant on the Outer Cape, working on numerous boards in Provincetown and Truro and serving as a Truro selectman for 12 years. His life’s philosophy was about showing fairness and compassion toward others. He was 73.
The arts community lost several treasured members, including award-winning author Arturo Vivante, a Wellfleet resident, who died at 84 in April after a long and illustrious career as a short story writer, literary scholar, teacher and mentor.
Locally legendary and highly respected artist Tony Vevers, whose work is in the permanent collections of such eminent institutions as the Hirshhorn Museum and others, died on March 2. One of the founders of Provincetown’s Long Point Gallery, he was an integral part of the local arts scene, serving as an advisory to the Fine Arts Work Center and as a trustee and curator of PAAM. His death was followed by that of another well-loved Provincetown artist, Carol Whorf Westcott, 82, on April 26.
Jason Shinder, poet, died on April 25. A recipient of many awards and fellowships, he published poems in The New Yorker, the Paris Review and other esteemed literary journals and was named Provincetown Poet Laureate in 2006 by the local cultural council.
Singer-songwriter Judy Wallace, whose band The Judy Wallace Group saw a changing cast of some of the area’s best musicians in the 1980s, died in November at the age of 54 after a long battle with cancer.
Other familiar faces that will no longer be seen on the streets of Provincetown and Truro include John Perry, a well-known tradesman who loved to travel and was always there to lend a helping hand to whoever needed it; William Ingraham, a former building inspector who played an important role in the renovation and construction of many of the town’s public buildings; and Phyllis Temple, a real estate broker and devoted volunteer for many local non-profits.
Yvonne Cabral, a life-long resident of the town who co-owned Fisherman’s Wharf with her husband since 1967, died on Nov. 9 at the age of 78. Bill Keane, former Truro Central School principal, real estate broker and fisherman, died on Nov. 5. Tips for Tops’n founder Edward C. “Babe” Carreiro died on May 6.
From the waterfront, we note the passing of Cape tip native Louis A. Rivers, 83, fishing captain, former co-owner of Louie’s Dine and Dance in North Truro, and an active member of the community who could be found at Adam’s Pharmacy every morning with his daily coffee group. David L. “Bootsie” Carreiro, commercial fisherman for 30 years and longtime firefighter, died on Oct. 4 at the age of 61. Clement Silva, 81, who fished for 27 years before switching to a career in the fire department, eventually becoming fire chief, died on Aug. 31.
Provincetown also mourned the loss of Frank Reis, 84, who fished aboard the Steven R. and later became manager of the Provincetown Fisherman’s Co-op, and Victor Pacellini, 85, a Cape End native, fisherman and decorated veteran.
Capt. Reuben Baker Jr., of Wellfleet, world traveler who worked at the helm of research vessels for Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and participated in the discovery of the Titanic, died on July 13.
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