Longtime Edgartown summer resident Dick Hart died August 1 after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. Mr. Hart, who had summered on the Vineyard for almost 60 years, died at his home in Woodbridge, Conn. surrounded by family and friends. He was 80.

He had been a regular Edgartown summer and fall resident since 1949 when he spent the summer on the Island selling Fuller brushes. That experience later prompted him and his first wife Teddy to return to the Vineyard with their family in the early 1960s. He loved practically everything about the Vineyard including tennis at the Edgartown Yacht Club, bluefish, bass and bonito fishing, the South Beach surf, biking and rollerblading, watching birds and sunset beach picnics, when he played his guitar and sang for hours.

He seemed to know everyone in Edgartown, and was easily identified as he rode his bike through town in his pink Bermuda shorts. One of his favorite activities was fishing out at Hawes shoal. He prided himself in being able to find and catch enough bluefish to feast on for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

After years of renting, Dick and Teddy Hart purchased a house in 1976 on the West Tisbury Road. The home was to become a summer place for the extended family that included grandchildren until Teddy’s death in 1986. Lucky man that he was, Dick met and then married in 1990 Krista Berneike whose summer allegiance to Nantucket gave way to a love for the Vineyard as she, Dick and Kris’s children Annsley and Jared Rosner began to spend their summers in the West Tisbury Road house, along with family, friends and various pets.

In his new role as step-father as well as grandfather to Kate, Will and Gordon Rago, Dick passed along his love of all things aquatic by taking the kids out fishing, body surfing and walking with them down South Beach to the Edgartown Great Pond opening. He swam nearly every day while the family picnicked — making sure to reach his 1,000-plus back strokes in any kind of surf. He loved his family, his legions of friends, the outdoors, music, books, talking and laughter. His unique spirit, energy, joyfulness and optimism and his love and enthusiasm for life have blessed all who knew him.

He was born on Sept. 15, 1927 in Manhasset, N.Y., to John Eugene and May Hart. He attended Mount Saint Charles Academy in Rhode Island and graduated in 1950 from Yale University where he played varsity football, ice hockey and lacrosse. He served for many years as class secretary for the class of 1950 at Yale. An investment banker, he was president of Jet Process Corp. in North Haven, Conn. at the time of his death.

In addition to his first wife, he was predeceased by his stepson Jared Rosner. He is survived by his loving wife Krista and his children, Pamela Rago of South Salem, N.Y., Robert Hart of Mt. Kisco, N.Y., and Sara Hart of Bolinas, Calif., his son in law Steve Rago and stepdaughter Annsley Slawsky of New York. A memorial service was held in Woodbridge, Conn.

Donations in his name may be made to Earth Island Institute/SLFP, P.O. BOX C-151, LA Honda, Calif 94020 (slfp@sacredland.org); Central Asia Institute, P.O. Box 7209, Bozeman, Montana 59771 (cai@ikat.org); Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, 1877 Garden Avenue, Eugene, OR 97403 (elawus@elaww.org), or the charity of your choice.