Dudley Allen Eppel of Vero Beach, Fla., and West Tisbury, died peacefully on Nov. 21, with Nancy, his cherished wife of 63 years, and their four children by his side.

Born in Newark, N.J., on July 20, 1929, Dudley grew up in South Orange and Maplewood. He was a 1947 graduate of Columbia High School, where he was known for his leadership on the basketball court and play behind the baseball plate. As captain of the varsity basketball team, he was known as a hard worker who never quit — a truism for how he lived his life. He received many athletic awards and was recruited for a post-graduate year at Carteret Prep School in West Orange to play varsity basketball.

He graduated from Rutgers University in 1954, where he majored in business administration major and was a member of the Chi Psi fraternity. He continued to play basketball and also played semi-pro summer baseball for the Farmington Flyers in Maine. His college career was interrupted by his service in the Air Force, from which he received an honorable discharge to support his family when his father died.

Dudley had a long career on Wall Street, leading four block trading desks over 42 years at leading firms, including Blyth & Co., Weeden & Company, Loeb Rhodes, and Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette (DLJ). He retired as managing director of DLJ’s Institutional Equities Division in 1995. At his retirement party in Boston, he was presented with a certificate of recognition from Mayor Thomas M. Menino. He was remembered by his peers as a patient mentor and excellent practitioner of the art and science of block trading. Dubbed by his colleagues Dudley (Warbuck) Eppel, with a cigar in one hand and a phone in the other, he retired as the oldest living block trader on Wall Street. He provided commentary on the financial markets for the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Institutional Investor, CNBC, and other news outlets.

He was a loving father and with Nancy raised their family in Princeton, N.J., where they lived for 45 years. With a passion for the beach, Dudley and his family spent many summers on the Jersey shore and later on Martha’s Vineyard, beginning in 1972. He shared his love of the ocean with his children, teaching them to bodysurf and enjoy a competitive surfside game of backgammon, making for beautiful memories. He also loved the mountains of Colorado and spent family ski vacations in Vail and Aspen. He had a special affection for the horse-drawn sleigh to the Pine Creek Cookhouse in Ashcroft. He shared his love of the Big Apple with his family, exposing them to Broadway musicals and sporting events. He was a loyal fan of many teams, including the (now San Francisco) Giants, the Knicks, the Rangers, and the New York Giants.

He befriended many and was a mentor to people of all ages and backgrounds. He was an avid golfer and over his lifetime was a member of the Bedens Brook Club in Skillman, N.J., Rolling Rock Club in Ligonier, Pa., Edgartown Yacht Club, the Vineyard Golf Club, and the John’s Island and Red Stick Golf clubs in Vero Beach, Fla.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children Cheryl of Watertown, Lynne of West Tisbury, Dudley, Jr. of Vero Beach, Fla., and Meredith of Weston; four grandchildren, Anna Lee, Charles Allen, Lila Grace and Alexander Dudley.

He was predeceased by his parents Mildred Nauman Eppel and William Eppel; a sister Dianne Schryber, and a brother William Eppel.

A celebration of life will take place on Martha’s Vineyard in July 2020.

Donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association ( https://www.alz.org/help-support); or the West Tisbury Public Library Foundation (http://www.wtlibraryfoundation.org/donate-2/).