F. Patrick Gregory of West Tisbury died on May 16. While hiking on a beautiful remote trail in Red Bluff, Calif., he was the victim of a robbery and homicide.

Pat was born April 6, 1945, and was raised in the Adirondack Mountains and Plattsburgh, N.Y. He graduated from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., majoring in economics and math. Pat married Dorothy Lacombe weeks after graduating from college. He went on to receive masters’ degrees from the University of Hawaii and Florida Institute of Technology.

Pat was a teacher at heart. Whether he was coaching a ball team, helping solve a computer problem or playing with his grandchildren, he could make reluctant learners smile and try just a little harder. The Tisbury School brought Pat and his family here in 1971; he had no idea Martha’s Vineyard was an Island.

He began teaching at the new West Tisbury School the first year it opened its doors in 1974. For years Pat and Dorothy would rent out their Otis Bassett Road home and leave the Island to work at summer camps in Maine and New Hampshire. In 1991 he began serving West Tisbury as the town moderator, often calling on former students during debate.

For the past 30 years, Pat, alongside Dorothy, ran the family business of EduComp. Pat was instrumental in bringing computer technology to the Island. He served on numerous boards over the years, including Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, Martha’s Vineyard Youth Soccer, Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, Daybreak Clubhouse, and was an active participant in NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill). His most recent devotion was to the Vineyard House, a safe home for those in addiction recovery, which is starting to build a campus in Vineyard Haven.

Pat’s life was never complete without sports. When he took on an activity, he did it with passion and an eye for data. A star athlete in high school basketball, Pat coached Little League in college and completed marathons in Newport and Boston. He started coaching soccer when his son was six years old and went on to become a soccer referee for the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School team and recreational leagues. This past fall he came off the soccer sidelines when his grandson’s team needed a coach.

Golf provided hours of leisurely outdoor companionship with his usual cast of characters. Often he would go over to Mink Meadows by himself at the end of the day to shoot nine holes and be home in time for dinner. Neither rain nor cold could stop him.

Pat leaves behind many friends — too many to count. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his daughter Shannon and son in law Dan Carbon of Edgartown; his son Timothy and his girlfriend Chelsea Vandenameele of Boynton Beach, Fla; grandchildren Jack and Bess Carbon; his mother Elizabeth Sullivan Gregory and his sister Kathy Heatherton, of Plattsburgh, N.Y.; as well as numerous other family members. Pat was predeceased by his father Francis Gregory, his brother Stephen Gregory and his sister Mary Gregory.

A memorial service was celebrated at the West Tisbury Agricultural Hall on May 28 followed by a potluck. Private interment was held at the Lambert’s Cove Cemetery.

In life, Pat was a man of wisdom, warmth, and humor who gave greatly of himself. We know he would want to thank everyone for supporting our family with such grace throughout this most trying time.