Robert Graham Huntington Jr. of Chatham, N.J., and Edgartown died peacefully on Feb. 12 after a short illness. He was 89.

He was born to Alice Booth Huntington and Robert Graham Huntington Sr. on Jan. 29, 1926 in Irvington, N.J. He grew up in Maplewood.

He graduated early from Columbia High School in the winter of 1944 in order to join the prestigious Navy V12 program, receiving his commission as an ensign and ultimately achieving the rank of lieutenant. He served in the Navy at Guantanamo Bay and on board various ships including the USS Wasp and the USS Toledo, of which he was a plankholder. He continued his service in the naval reserves for nearly 20 years. He was a lifelong member of the American Legion.

Concurrent with his naval service he continued his education, first at Dartmouth College and then at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated with distinction in 1950. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. It was at Penn that he met the love of his life Shirley Bailey, whom he married in June 1950.

Following their marriage they moved to Reading, Pa., where he worked for the Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania. After three years in Reading, he returned to his home state of New Jersey, where he worked for many financial concerns including Fidelity Union Trust and Allstate Insurance. Ultimately, he became president of the Chatham Savings and Loan Association, opening its first office and serving as its president for 20 years. Many Chathamites purchased their homes with mortgages and got their education with student loans granted by Mr. Huntington.

He and Shirley raised five daughters in Chatham, having lived there for 62 years. He was a leader in many local organizations, serving as president of the Kiwanis Club, the Jaycees, and the Minisink Swim Club. He was Master Mason in Madison Lodge for 40 years, serving as an officer for most of that time. Bob was also an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where he was an usher, a member of the vestry, a Sunday school teacher, and former treasurer.

Bob was an avid student of history and had a lifelong interest in railroading, travelling extensively through the U.S., Canada, and Europe by rail. He was also fascinated by theatre organs and generously volunteered in the renovation and restoration of historic organs in old theatres. He was very active in the Huntington Family Association, serving for several years as its president.

Bob was a longtime summer visitor to Martha’s Vineyard. He first came to the Vineyard in the summer of 1962, renting a typical Victorian house in Oak Bluffs. The family enjoyed many happy summers in Oak Bluffs prior to buying a home in Edgartown in 1977. His happiest days there were spent surf casting off of South Beach, having breakfasts at Farm Neck or Dockside Cafe, and just enjoying the beauty of the Island.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley Bailey Huntington; five daughters, Ann Barnett, Jean Cress and her husband Steve, Nancy Solomon and her husband Greg, Robin Ford and her husband Mike, and Amy Huntington; six grandsons, Michael and his wife Mandy, Andrew, and Jeffrey Ford, Scott and David Cress, and Gregory Solomon; and one great-granddaughter, Olive, and well as many beloved nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 200 Main street in Chatham, on Feb. 21 at noon. The family will welcome friends prior to the service in the parish hall of the church from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Paul’s.