R. William (Bill) Freston died on Feb. 20 surrounded by family in Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan following a traumatic fall on the island of Bequia in the Caribbean. He was 76.

Bill was born on May 9, 1948, in New Rochelle, N.Y. to the late Thomas and Winifred Freston. He lived in Manhattan.

He had a long love affair with Martha’s Vineyard and spent all or a good part of every summer there since 1970. He was a fixture in the July Fourth Edgartown parade, waving to crowds from a white woodie in the classic car portion. He had a close circle of long-time friends on the Island who mourn his passing.

He grew up in Rowayton, Conn., where he attended high school and went on to graduate from St. Michael’s College in 1970. A deep passion for music and a fascination with its cultural impact in the 60s and 70s, led him to a lifetime of working in the music and media worlds.

His first job was at the free form radio station WnTN in Boston where he rose to general manager in 1972. He moved to New York City in 1973 to begin work at Colombia Records during a golden age for the music business. He held a series of positions there, working with a wide range of artists including the Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, Janis Ian, Elliott Murphy, Blue Oyster Cult and John McLaughlin.

He became special assistant to the legendary Bruce Lundwall, president of Colombia Records, and eventually rose to senior vice-president. He helped spearhead projects like 1979’s “Havana Jam,” a historic event that brought Cuban and American musicians together for the first time since the Cuban Revolution.

Always on the frontier, Bill was, among other things, a founder of Click Radio, the first licensed digital radio service, and helped launch Zingy Media, the first mobile music streaming channel.

Bill was truly beloved by everyone. Smart, quick witted, full of life, with an encyclopedic knowledge of the arts, he brought a joyful energy to every room he entered. Many thought he was the funniest person they had ever met. “Bill gives the greatest lunch in town.”

He was very proud of and devoted to his sobriety, which he held close for 28 years. He helped put many others onto that path.

An inveterate adventurer, Bill fully embraced life to the end travelling the far corners of the world. At heart, he was an island boy, always happiest off the mainland. He'd return again and again to his happiest places like Martha's Vineyard. But also, Port Antonio, Jamaica, Kauai, and Bequia in the Grenadines. He spent his last five winters on Bequia, known by the locals as "Uncle Bill."

He leaves behind his older brother Tom and his two beloved nephews, Gil and Andrew, along with his wife, Jemma Freston.

The family expresses their deep gratitude to the doctors and staff at Mount Sinai Hospital for their compassion and their heroic attempts to resuscitate him. A funeral service and memorial will be held April 24 at 10 a.m. at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola at 980 Park Avenue in New York.

Bill requested that any donations go to Compassionate Care ALS Inc. (www.ccals.org) in loving memory of his best friend Thomas (Dilly) Walsh.