Paul Sullivan’s last day in the Coast Guard and last day at Menemsha Coast Guard Station coincided on Wednesday. Mr. Sullivan, who had spent 22 years in the Coast Guard, and two years in Menemsha, departed with subdued fanfare at about 9 a.m. He took his car and headed home to his family, south of Boston.

It was a thoughtful moment with a lot of hugs, according to Petty officer Jason Chapa, second in command at the station. “He is a great resource, one of the old guard,” Mr. Chapa said. It was an “all hands on deck” day at the station. Most of the 22 Coast Guard men and women were there for the send-off.

A more formal send-off for Mr. Sullivan took place earlier in the month, when Mr. Sullivan was honored and given his retirement certificates. The ceremony at the station was attended by Capt. Verne Gifford, a commander for Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England.

What is so striking about Mr. Sullivan’s service, Mr. Chapa said, is that unlike so many other long-term Coast Guardsmen who get assignments across the country, Mr. Sullivan was able always to serve along the coastal waters of Massachusetts, from Boston, to Provincetown, to Woods Hole and finally, since 2009, in Menemsha. “He was only out of the state for two months, in boot camp,” Mr. Chapa said.