Warren William Cookson Jr. died unexpectedly on Jan. 26, at home in Edgartown. He was 50.

Bill, as he was known, was born in Baltimore on June 25, 1961 to Warren William Cookson Sr. and Laura L. (Neilson) Lee. He went to high school at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md., and then on to college at the University of Maryland and the University of Baltimore Law School.

Bill was a lawyer for Zurich Insurance and had lived on the Island since 2007. Prior to this time he lived most of his life in Howard and Baltimore Counties in Maryland.

Bill had two loves in his life, the sea and the theatre. Sailing and windsurfing were his passion. In high school, he started acting, singing, and sometimes directing shows such as Man of la Mancha, Guys and Dolls, and Carousel, and later in Me and My Girl.

In college he discovered the plays of Shakespeare. When he moved to the Vineyard, he joined the Vineyard Playhouse for their productions and the Shakespeare for the Masses series.

Bill is survived by his mother, Laura Lee; his stepfather, William P. Lee, both of Edgartown; his stepbrother, William Corbin Lee of Huntsville, Al. and his stepsisters, Hannah Lee Spradling and Constance Lee Pullella both of Leesburg, Va., and their families. He is also survived by his former wife, Melanie (Kossoff) Cookson of Oregon and his father, Warren William Cookson Sr. of Howard County, Md. Bill was predeceased by his brother, Dawson L. Cookson in 1985.

A memorial funeral mass will be celebrated in St. Andrew’s Church, Edgartown on Saturday at 11 a.m. with a reception following in the hall. Donations may be made in his memory to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 1287, Edgartown, MA 02539 or Vineyard Playhouse, Attn: Donations, P.O. Box 2452, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.