Carl P. Mehne Jr. of Pound Ridge, N.Y., and Vineyard Haven died at home on Jan. 20 surrounded by family. He was 64.

Carl was born on March 20, 1949 in White Plains, N.Y., to Carl Mehne Sr. and Eileen Mehne. He grew up in Valhalla, N.Y., the oldest in a large family, and graduated from Valhalla High School in 1967.

If it had wheels, Carl raced it, and he was happiest when either on the racetrack or with his wife and dogs. As soon as winter passed, he could often be found on the track with his teammates or zipping through trails on his bicycle. Carl fell in love with the Vineyard in 1980 and was especially fond of walks at Sepiessa Point in West Tisbury.

Carl loved to learn and immersed himself in both his professional and personal pursuits. He was an optician for 17 years, bringing clarity of vision to his family, friends and customers alike. He later became a professional photographer, owned a moped scooter business in New York city for a short time and most recently fell in love with car racing.

Intensely private, Carl was a true connoisseur of art, film and all things music, particularly the guitar. He fondly remembered waking up after days of rain at Woodstock to hear Jimi Hendrix playing the Star Spangled Banner.

The loves of his life were his daughter Tasha, wife Deb and dogs Henry and Moo.

He is survived by his wife Deb Mehne; daughter Tasha Mehne and wife Kim Gunter; siblings Patricia Rutherford and husband William, Christopher Mehne and wife Jayne, Timothy Mehne and wife Kim, Joan Andrews and husband Robert, Ellen Whiteknight and husband John, Elizabeth Cassidy and husband Rick, Barbara Hensel and husband Warren, and Kerry Delia, as well as twelve nephews and seven nieces.

Donations in Carl’s memory can be made to the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.