Gwendolyn Tucker Wharton, formerly of Oak Bluffs, died peacefully at home on Nov. 17 with her family on the Vineyard. She was the mother of Richard G. (Peter) Wharton Jr. and daughter of the late Hon. Herbert E. Tucker Jr.

Born on Oct. 9, 1940, in West Chester, Pa., Gwen graduated from the Girls Latin School in 1958, received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Simmons College in 1962, and later earned a master’s degree in counseling from Cambridge College.

After college graduation, Gwen moved to New Jersey to work and raised her son, returning to Boston in the early 1970s where she began a career at The Boston Globe spanning 30 years.

After retiring to the Vineyard, she cared for her parents and pursued her love of gardening by creating an oasis of flowers at her home in Oak Bluffs. A passionate dancer throughout her life, Gwen delighted in the arts and found various ways to pursue these interests on the Island over the years.

For the past seven years, she had worked and developed many long lasting friendships at the Windemere Rehabilitation Center.

She is survived by her mother, Mary (Hill) Tucker, and sister, Gretchen (Tucker) Underwood, all of the Vineyard. She is also survived by her niece, Gretchen (Underwood) Mercer, her niece’s husband, Parker Bowman, her great-nephews, Jason and Brandon Mercer, and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.

The family invites relatives and friends to a celebration of her life which will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Chapman, Cole and Gleason Funeral Home in Oak Bluffs. In lieu of flowers, Gwen asked for donations to be made in her name to Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, Box 2549, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.