Joseph Turner Stewart Jr., a summer resident for 50 years who loved sailing, lobster dinners with his family and gray, rainy Vineyard days, died on April 2 after a brief but intense battle against pancreatic cancer.

Joe was born in New York city in 1929, the son of Joseph Turner Stewart Sr. and Edna Pride Stewart. He graduated with honors from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point and was a John Hay Whitney fellow at the Harvard Business School.

He started his career in finance management with Warner Lambert Pharmaceuticals. Then in 1968 he joined Squibb Corporation and became senior vice president of corporate affairs, member of the executive management committee of Squibb, and member of the board of directors. He retired in 1990.

After his retirement he served for nine years as executive consultant to the vice chairman of Johnson & Johnson.

He served on the board of directors of General American Investors Company beginning in 1987. He also served on the board at Liposome Company.

Most recently he was a trustee of the Foundation of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, a trustee of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Foundation, council member to the Marine Biological Laboratory of Woods Hole and a member of Sigma Pi Phi, Mu Boule.

He was a devoted husband to his wife Carol, a supportive father to his children Lisa and Alison and a doting grandfather to Caitlin, Kelley and Isaac.

Interment will be private in the Oak Bluffs Cemetery on April 11.

In honor of his life and achievement, his family invites his friends to support one of his favorite charities, Chess in the Schools, 520 Eighth avenue, Floor 2, NYC, 10018 or ChessInTheSchools.org.