Howard Coe, a longtime seasonal resident of Chilmark whose insatiable zeal for life inspired all who knew him, died Oct. 19 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after a brief illness. He was 92.

The cause of death was complications from a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Mr. Coe, who preferred to be known as Howard, was well-known around the Vineyard and in his home town of Farmington, Conn., for his infectious joie de vivre, unrelenting interest in people, and deep appreciation for the simple joys of life. He was an accomplished businessman and dedicated affordable housing advocate, as well as an avid fisherman, hunter, world traveller, skier and sailor.

Howard had a genuine interest in all who crossed his path. With his shock of white hair and warm smile, he enchanted everyone he met along the way. On the Vineyard, that included legions of friends garnered over almost a half-century of summers hitchhiking around the Island - one of his favorite pastimes - racing sailboats on Menemsha Pond, catching striped bass off Gay Head or simply walking up to strangers at a cocktail party and offering his hand and a perfunctory, "Hello, I'm Howard Coe."

A wonderful influence on young people, he taught scores of children to tie rope knots, catch blue-clawed crabs and fix broken fishing poles. He charmed countless women half his age during long walks on the beach.

Those who knew him best remember Howard in the same way: curious about all things mechanical or natural; courteous, creative, resourceful and generous; and devoted to friends and family. Longtime friends recall a man who relished every waking moment, who was never bored with even the most mundane tasks and who approached each day as a fresh start rife with possibilities. He had a profound appreciation for nature and a deep connection to it; he often called upon Island friends to join him on the beach for a sunrise skinny dip or a walk under the stars.

Perhaps above all else, he loved messing around in boats.

He was a skilled fisherman and a crafty sailor, and loved to catch, cook - and eat - seafood, most notably establishing a reputation for his homemade clam chowder. Like spring itself, Howard was a harbinger of summers on the Vineyard. His arrival before the leaves had blossomed on the trees always signaled the true start of the season.

Howard was also known for true Yankee thrift, eschewing the new for the familiarity and practicality of the old. His self-repaired cars, boats, shirts and sweaters all served as testament to his frugality and unpretentious style. Irreparable was not a word in Howard's vocabulary; he relished a challenge to fix something that was broken, be it a crab net, an oar lock or leaky faucet.

Friends and relatives from around the country celebrated Howard's life at his funeral at the Chilmark cemetery on Tuesday, Oct. 24. A remembrance followed at the Chilmark Community Center, where for over three hours more than 100 friends relived some of the memorable, often amusing, encounters with Howard.

A memorial service in Farmington is being planned for the near future.

"With Howard, it is all about your own, personal stories of him - the individual encounters people had with him," his grandson, Philip Hollinger said. "Everyone has their own different Howard story, and that's what made him so special."

Howard Herbert Coe was born Sept. 20, 1914, at his home in Fairhaven, Conn. After a childhood spent mostly in or around boats, he was graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1936 with a bachelor's degree in forestry. He later joined the Navy and served in World War II, rising to the rank of lieutenant junior grade.

Upon returning to the United States, he married Helen Reilly in 1944 and enrolled at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in New Haven, Conn., through the G.I. Bill. He earned his master's degree in 1946.

He found employment with the Stanley Works Corporation later that year and moved with Helen to Vermont. There, he put his vast knowledge of wood to use in the company's mill that made their signature maple, birch and beech-handled tools. He was also put in charge of converting the mill from water power to electrical power and, after moving back to Connecticut in 1951, was involved in building the Salmon Fishway at the Rainbow Power Plant. Later he worked with Eric Sloane to help establish the Sloane-Stanley Museum in Kent, Conn. Eventually, he rose through the company to become the director of real estate and insurance, a position he held until his retirement from the company in 1980.

While at Stanley Works, Howard also played a lead role in the conservation of land along the Housatonic River, including Kent Falls and St. John's Ledges, an accomplishment he was most proud of.

Over the years Howard remained active in forestry as a member of the American Society of Foresters and the Connecticut Forest and Park Association in Middletown, Conn. He also served on the board of Connwood in Rockfall, Conn.

He also was active in his home town of Farmington, where he enjoyed a long tenure as the chairman of the town's housing committee and as a member of the Farmington Recreation Association, helping to establish Winding Trails, a nature center. He served on the Farmington Land Trust and at one point was the chairman of the Farmington town council. He was also a dedicated member of the Masons.

In 1967, after more than a decade visiting the Island, Howard bought a summer cottage on lower Abel's Hill, at the edge of Chilmark Pond. When his wife, Helen, died in 1976, the small, rustic camp became his refuge. He often arrived in late spring, beating even the heartiest Islanders into the ocean for the first swim of the year. He would often be the last one out in the fall, too, long after the leaves had fallen from their trees. In recent years, Howard stayed on the Vineyard late into the fall and early winter; his love of the Island eventually brought Howard back to the Island at least once a month to "check on the house." He even stayed at the uninsulated camp on the eve of the new millennium in 2000.

Time never seemed to catch up with or slow down Howard, who enjoyed sailing, fishing, and strenuous work right up until his final days.

A true reflection of his spirit, Howard's last day on the Vineyard was a typical one: a skinny dip in the ocean after rising at six, a thorough read of the New York Times over lunch, an afternoon spent cutting down a tree and clearing the brush from behind his house before his weekly trip to his beloved "Dumptique" at the West Tisbury dump, and a long dinner with his grandson, Philip, before retiring to bed at 10:30.

"A full day for anyone, let alone a 92-year-old," Philip remarked. "But every day was just a joy for him."

Survivors include his children: GiGi Coe Robinson and her husband, Dan Robinson, of Grand Junction, Colo.; Carol Coe Fowler and her husband, Fred Fowler, of Grand Junction, Colo.; and Kathy Coe and her husband, Thomas Hollinger, of Washington, Conn. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Philip and Chas Hollinger, Ryan and Anita Robinson and Meg, Helen and Andrew Fowler; and by his brother, Robert Coe of Branford, Conn.

Donations in Howard's name can be made to the following institutions: Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; Winding Trails in Farmington, Conn., and the Martha's Vineyard Hospital.