John Edwin Leaird, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, died peacefully on May 22 of complications from metastatic prostate cancer. He was 75.

Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Jacqueline Poe and Joseph (Eddie) Leaird, he was raised under the Florida sun with a fishing rod in one hand and a basketball in the other.

He played forward for Lauderdale High’s Flying L’s, which primed him for the next 60 years as possibly the Celtics’ most ardent fan. An avid fisherman, he could never eat shrimp because “that is bait.” He preferred foggy morning beach strolls, when the air is thick and you can only see a few feet in front of you, to the sun. This may be why he migrated north and made New England his home.

John met his wife, Kay, in an elevator when they both worked at the Massachusetts Department of Education. She remarked to a friend, “He looks nice,” and six months later they were married. They first came to Martha’s Vineyard in 1976 and while strolling the streets of Edgartown, fell in love with the Island and each other. They spent the next 35 years dividing their time between New Jersey and Oak Bluffs, later West Tisbury. In 2013 they made the switch to living on the Island year-round.

He served in the Air Force and attended the University of Florida, where he received his master’s degree in journalism, writing his dissertation about preserving the National Everglades that he loved as a boy. He was a writer and an ad guy. He was a tech geek before it was fashionable and the go-to for all things computer-related, as long as it was Apple. His passion for music was a constant — from Cat Stevens and Keith Jarrett to Yo Yo Ma and Mahler. This passion extended to audio equipment — speakers, amplifiers, receivers — which he bought and traded the way others do baseball cards.

But most of all he was a family man. John is survived by his wife, Kay Lane Leaird; his daughter Kim Leaird and grandsons Sam and John; his son Jeff Leaird, wife Jen, and grandchildren Amanda, Brittany, and C.J.; his daughter J.T. and husband Joe Schiltz; and his daughter Katie Leaird. He also leaves behind his brother Bill Leaird and his nephew Kelly Leaird of Florida. He was so proud of his family and especially his kids — he was the rock upon which they all rested. He had a big laugh, a twinkle in his eye, and was kind and gentle, showing his love for them in innumerable ways. He will be so missed.

John filled the months after he was diagnosed with cancer with a bucket list of special trips that included Patriots and Celtics playoff games, trips to New York city and Cabo, and many cherished moments with his family. A life-long avoider of pets, he became enamored with a little King Charles goldendoodle he named Punkin’. They were inseparable.

There will be a memorial service at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 28, at Allen Sheep Farm. His daughter J.T. will be married the very next day in the same spot.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to Camp Jabberwocky, a camp for kids and adults with disabilities, is requested. John loved that place and threw an annual barbecue for the whole camp each August for many years.