Anyone who has fished or eaten fish on the Vineyard knows the name Larsen. Every fish market save one has the name Larsen attached to it, and for a long time a lot of fish was also supplied by the patriarch of this family; father to some, uncle to others, Big Louie to all.

Louis S. Larsen was born in Menemsha in 1925, fished the waters around Menemsha his whole life and told stories on the docks of Menemsha, long and winding tales that traveled magnificently out to sea and back again.

On Tuesday, Mr. Larsen died at the age of 88, and we imagine even the fish, his constant quarry, were saddened by the news. An end of an era has this effect, and all around the Island this week talk turned to reminiscing about Mr. Larsen. Already, through his absence, it is clear that a particular piece of Vineyard history had indeed been walking among us.

On the Vineyard today, in terms of commerce, bigger fish are caught on land and many have turned away from the sea. But for men like Louis, the sea would always be their home and their office. May his legacy remind us of the importance of safeguarding our waters, not merely for the aesthetic beauty, but for those without a voice swimming below the surface.