Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Remembering Jack Howland — his wit, his wisdom, his way with words — his place at the round table at the ArtCliff Diner. The following, titled Snapshots, was written by Jack in November 2010, but he still had a few good miles to go. You are missed by many, Jack.

Late . . . from window . . . in the new hospital . . . moon sparkles on harbor . . . lights long-gone on writer’s row . . . corridors quiet . . . nurses settled in for nightly vigil . . .85 years! Alone . . . Depression era kid from Rhode Island . . . mowed lawns . . . shoveled snow . . . pedaled papers . . . World War II.

High school to Army . . . Pacific . . . Infantry “Dog Face”. . . Machine Gunner . . . Two islands . . . GI Bill . . . Two Purple Hearts . . . Hospital, Camp Edwards . . . five months rehab . . . Pretty island classmate . . . married . . . new life . . . new beginnings . . . first jobs . . . first apartments . . . Conn . . . NJ . . . NY . . . young Adman in Big Apple . . . good bucks . . . no kids . . . self-indulgence . . . theatre . . . travel . . . birthdays, anniversaries, Marracech, Dubrovnic, Cap Ferrat . . . better bucks . . . European film shoots . . . bicoastal . . . Beverly Hills Pink Palace . . . Chasen’s . . . New York Studios . . . 21 . . . Quit cold turkey at 55 . . . West Tisbury on the pond . . . another new beginning . . . culture shock? . . . Square Rigger for Chasen’s . . . Net Result for 21!

New life . . . new interests . . . new friends . . . small events, great events . . . changing times . . . A black President in my generation! Now obits intrude . . . losing old friends, new friends . . . after 60 years, lose my classmate . . . long goodbye . . . Closing end of long run of show . . . been quite a trip . . . thanks for the ride!

Penny Uhlendorf, Vineyard Haven