Obituaries & Death Notices

Mystery, beauty, grief, and love course through Chloé Zhao’s “Hamnet,” based on Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel of the same name. The two wrote the script for the film adaptation of “Hamnet,” which screens at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center starting Jan. 16. The story fictionalizes the relationship between William Shakespeare and Agnes Hathaway, who suffer a tragic loss that O’Farrell proposes inspires “Hamlet.”   A mighty wind blows through the forest at the beginning…

John Forté. —Robyn Twomey The road John Forté traveled brought him from Brownsville, Brooklyn, where he was born, to Chilmark, where he died suddenly on Monday.  It led him on an extraordinary, half-century journey. Along that road, he navigated New York’s toughest neighborhoods and made his way to elite academic institutions. It took a celebrated turn down city streets of hip-hop in its heyday, bringing him to a red-carpet walk at the Grammys. It sent him on…

Terry Andrew Canha, 72, of Oak Bluffs, passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 19, 2025, at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Terry was born on the Vineyard on April 21, 1953, to Antone and Yvette Canha. A graduate of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, he remained rooted in the Island community most of his life, with brief periods spent living in other areas of Massachusetts. Terry dedicated the majority of his career to carpentry, and worked alongside various Island carpenters.…

William Vincent (“Bill”) passed away on Jan. 12, surrounded by his family in his daughter’s home after succumbing to his neurological disease. He was 73.  Bill was the son of the late Burton M. Vincent and Natalie A. Brown Vincent. He was born in Oak Bluffs. He lived on the Island until his family moved to Schenectady, N.Y.  Bill graduated from Linton High School in 1969, and went on to obtain a B.S. in marketing from Western New England College in 1973. He…

For juniors Eliza Belle Carestia and Russell Coogan, family time has often been spent at the ice rink, where growing up together meant sharing practices, games, and countless hours on the ice. This winter season, these two cousins stepped into their first year as starting goalies for the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s (MVRHS) girls’ and boys’ varsity hockey teams, an accomplishment that has been years in the making, and carries a storied family connection to the sport. “I…

The process for writing this weekly column, at least for me, is two-pronged. First, I open a few websites and start narrowing down events happening this coming week, and second, I mass-text locals asking if they have any news to share. Some of you truly deliver with the consistent drip of information, but let me tell you, January is a tough month to source news, gossip, and information about Edgartown. And honestly, I’m not mad about it. It forces me to think a bit deeper, finding the smaller moments,…

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Islander Sue Guiney’s “Where We Find Ourselves: A Cambodian Love Story.” It is very much a love story, in every sense of the term, among the characters that populate the novel, as well as about the country Guiney so adores. At the center of the book is Deborah, an American expat who runs Khmer Home for Blessed Children, an orphanage filled with children whose parents have died, or from families who can no longer afford to keep them. With guts, determination, and…

Lionel James Starr, 83, of Nantucket, died Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. A visiting hour will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23 at the VFW, 22 New South Road, followed by a graveside burial at Prospect Hill…

John Forté, a Grammy-nominated recording artist and loving father of two young children, died suddenly in his home in Chilmark on Monday. He was 50 years old. His death was confirmed by Chilmark Police, and a precise cause of death has not yet been officially determined. Forté was beloved among the community of musicians on the Island, and anyone who came across his path remembers him as generous, empathetic, and brilliant. On an Island already grieving the tragic…

Cheryl Lynch-Romano, 73, formerly of Nantucket, died Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. A celebration of life will take place at a future date.

Howard Whelden, 72, of Nantucket, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. Plans for a graveside service are forthcoming.

Bobby Gosh, 89, of Brookfield, Vt., died Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. A celebration of life will take place at a future date.

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(Jan. 9, 2026) A 52-year-old man who fell nearly two stories while working on a job site off Old South Road Tuesday has died, according to an announcement on Facebook.

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Judith Hannan —Courtesy Judith Hannan “If you tell yourself like a story, it doesn’t seem so bad.” I wish I were the author of these words, but they come from Jeanette Winterson’s novel “Lighthousekeeping.” They express an essential truth. In 2000, when my younger daughter, then 8, was diagnosed with cancer, I wrote in my journal with unusual regularity. And after her treatment and through the years of her survival, I wrote and wrote, until I came to understand those years, could put…

Joan Pearce, age 103, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 at Our Island Home, surrounded by her family.

Mark Roche, of Nantucket, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 at the age of 70.

A great deal of awkward silence reigns in Jim Jarmusch’s new film, “Father Mother Sister Brother,” playing at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center starting on Jan. 9. The silences heighten the unease between the generations in the film’s three vignettes, each reflecting estranged family relationships in a different country. Jarmusch has assembled a stellar ensemble cast. Tom Waits is the sole parent in the first story, “Father.” His son Jeff (Adam Driver) and daughter Emily (Mayim Bialik)…

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A large flock of chickens were killed by state authorities at a farm in Katama after contracting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu. This is the largest case on the Island in recent years.  The spread of the viral infection among the local chicken flock was discovered around the holidays by personnel at Slough Farm. The first chicken death occurred on Dec. 26 and by New Year’s Day, over a hundred had died.  Julie Scott,…

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The rising moon between Christmas and New Year ushered in what felt like a king tide of three separate tragedies, ushering waves of grief across four prominent families who have all given so much to the Island. These families — the Scheffers, the Bergerons, the Bramhalls and the Kennedys — are all different, and they are all struggling with their individual losses in different ways, but there was a collective spirit of community that came together around them, offering love and support from some…

Born in San Diego as Sharyn Kelly on July 6, 1945, Shanta Gabriel, 80, passed away peacefully on Dec. 11, 2025, in Falmouth, after a series of strokes.  She moved to Martha’s Vineyard in 2020 during the upheaval of the pandemic and found here a beautiful island and a vibrant community that made her want to settle down and stay forever.  The daughter of Betty and Jack Kelly, a Navy commander stationed on Coronado Island, Calif., she grew up moving with her father’s…

Shirley J. Craig of Edgartown died peacefully on Jan. 5, 2025, at the age of 90. A full obituary will follow in another edition of this paper. The post Shirley J. Craig appeared first on The Martha's Vineyard Times.

2026 has certainly begun with a bang. Literally. America invading another country. Just when I felt grateful for the end of 2025, thinking the state of the world couldn’t get any worse, it did. What happened to the world peace that I asked Santa for last month at the firehouse? I am of the generation who lived through Vietnam, Abu Ghraib, regime changes in Iraq and Afghanistan, years of tax cuts and unfunded wars. What is the matter with our country? Now that I have gotten that out of my system,…

Roy Timfre Scheffer, 77, of Edgartown died accidentally on Jan. 1, 2026, at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. His funeral service will be held at a later date, and a complete obituary will follow in another edition of this paper. Please visit chapmanfuneral.com for an online guestbook and information. The post Roy Timfre Scheffer appeared first on The Martha's Vineyard Times.

Mary Wolverton, 59, passed away on Dec. 24, 2025, at her home and surrounded by family in Vineyard Haven, after battling breast cancer for several years.  Mary was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1966, to Ann and Ben Wolverton Jr., and grew up on the family’s sustainable farm in Troy Mills, Iowa. She attended North Linn High School, and graduated with a B.A. in theater arts from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. After working in fashion fabric design in Miami,…

We celebrate the life of Margaret Dykes Whitehouse (“Meg”), who passed away peacefully in her Chilmark home on Dec. 9, 2025, at the age of 68.  Born in Mount Kisco, N.Y., on Sept. 9, 1957, Meg brought passion, joy, and warmth to every part of her life — qualities that endured even as she faced the degenerative neurological disease that ultimately ended her life. An interior designer by trade, Meg poured her creativity into her work and formed lasting relationships…

David Brian Rossi (“Joe”) passed away on Nov. 29, 2025, at the Henrietta Brewer House in Vineyard Haven, surrounded by the love of his family and friends, after a struggle with dementia. Born to Joan and William Rossi on Dec. 21, 1959, in New Bedford, David lived a life marked by deep affection for his family, dedication to public service, and an enduring sense of joy and positivity that touched all who knew him. David moved from New Bedford to Martha’s Vineyard…

Citing dangers posed by dead trees, the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation has closed trails in West Chop Woods in Vineyard Haven to public use.  The trails have been closed since Christmas Eve, and Adam Moore, executive director of the foundation, said the closure will be in place for about a month. He said the “hazard trees” near the trail posed a risk to visitors. A hazard tree is defined by the United States Forest Service as a tree with “a structural defect that makes it likely to fail in…

Nate Coutinho, 66, of Conroe, Texas, died Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. A memorial service will take place Saturday, Feb. 21 at Fellowship Baptist Church in Conroe. His ashes will be released on the beach in Bunnell, Fla., Friday, March 13.

Donna Stanley Taylor, 72, of Houston, Texas and longtime summer resident of Nantucket, died Dec. 24, 2025. A celebration of life and inurnment will be held in the spring on Nantucket.

Melinda Lucas Geddes, 84, of Nantucket and Dover, N.H., died Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. A celebration of life will be held in the spring.

Joan Pearce, 103, of Nantucket, died Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. No services are planned at this time.

Mark Roche, 70, of Nantucket, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 10 at St. Mary’s Cemetery, with a celebration of life following at the American Legion, 21 Washington St.

A Vineyard man known for his love of the outdoors has succumbed to injuries sustained from an avalanche last month.  Nathaniel (“Natty”) Schneider, 31, died on Dec. 26 at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls after he was buried in an avalanche on Dec. 20 while skiing in “The Claw,” a challenging backcountry area on a mountain pass known as Teton Pass in Wyoming. A local news site, the Jackson Hole News & Guide, reported that he was airlifted…

This article is a part of 12-piece series for The Times’ 2025 “Year in Review.” The Island lost a beloved icon in April of this year: Captain Robert (“Bob”) Douglas, a beloved waterfront legend who sailed Vineyard seas aboard his tall ship and founded the Black Dog Tavern. Originally from Chicago, he developed a fascination with sailing during his summers on the Island. After his time in the United States Air Force, Dougles worked as a deckhand in Maine, where he later constructed…

Tatiana Schlossberg, a lifelong seasonal Aquinnah resident and environmental journalist who garnered global attention for her essay about the distressing reality of being diagnosed with and battling against an aggressive blood cancer, died on Dec. 30 at the age of 35. The death of Schlossberg, who was the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and the granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, was announced on Instagram by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation in Boston. The…

This article is a part of 12-piece series for The Times’ 2025 “Year in Review.” Housing on Martha’s Vineyard has endured some significant ebbs and flows this year. From new affordable developments to cleared unhoused campsites, from overcrowded living conditions to new state tools for addressing the low housing supply and affordability, the stakes have been high.  The year began with ballooning homeowners insurance premiums. Some Vineyard residents cited over 300 percent increases…

HYANNIS – Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, one of three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died after she was diagnosed with leukemia last year. She was 35. Schlossberg, daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, revealed she had terminal cancer in a November 2025 essay in The New Yorker. A […] The post Tatiana Schlossberg, a grandchild of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died…

This article is a part of 12-piece series for The Times’ 2025 “Year in Review. This has been a year of fear and uncertainty for many in the immigrant community, after intense crackdowns from the top of the federal government. In late January, a false rumor that federal immigration enforcers were on the Island left many workplaces devoid of their usual employees, who were worried they would be swept up by the intensifying deportations. Parents were worried whether their children would…

Tonia S. Hirschbuhl, 56, of Nantucket and Vermont, died Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 at the Unitarian Church on Orange St. A celebration of life will follow at The Gaslight,…

This is my last week as president of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital (MVH) and Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (WNR), and I wanted to say thank you –– thank you to our Island community who has supported MVH and WNR, as well as our incredible team. On a personal note, I am deeply grateful for the support and grace the entire community has shown to me.  Eight years have passed so quickly. It is hard to leave a place as special as MVH and WNR, with our exceptional…

‘Tis the season… YARMOUTH PORT, MASSACHUSETTS — Two employees of a local assisted living facility face multiple serious firearms charges after Yarmouth police investigated reports of numerous gunshots on Christmas Eve, leading to the discovery of illegal weapons and ammunition at their shared residence. The incident began around 10:27 p.m. on December 24, 2025, when Yarmouth Police patrol officers responded to initial reports of four gunshots in the area of Shaker House Road. While…

Graphic by Nicole Jackson This article is a part of 12-piece series for The Times’ 2025 “Year in Review. One of the biggest stories for the Island this year — and many years to come — is offshore wind. From the very beginning of this year, it has felt like the industry itself is twisting in the wind. On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump issued an executive memorandum that directed federal agencies to suspend all new leases for wind projects before a large assessment of the approval…

Mary Larner Ferguson, 69, of Concord, Nantucket and Gulf Stream, Fla., died Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. Services will be held Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026 at the Trinitarian Congregational Church in Concord.

All of the Vineyard’s towns adopted their tax rates, but not all of them will be using a state-approved residential tax exemption that aims to help year-round homeowners with affordability.  On Dec. 16, the town of Chilmark, at its annual property tax levy hearing, adopted a single tax rate for all types of properties in the town, joining Edgartown and Aquinnah. The select boards decided against adopting the exemption, but other towns on the Vineyard — Tisbury, Oak Bluffs, and West Tisbury —…

The Trump administration’s immigration rhetoric and actions worsen day by day. Every undocumented person on the Island must be extremely apprehensive. Commentators across the country have declared his language the new nativism. The Washington Post’s Karen Tumulty writes that President Trump’s words hark back more than a century ago to “the passage of a series of laws, capped by one in 1924, known as the Johnson-Reed Act. The statute put in place a quota system in which visas would be allocated…