Warren Hugh Pyle, a regular visitor to West Tisbury for over 50 years, died on December 29, 2019, at age 86.

Warren first visited the Island in 1962. In 1966, he and his then wife Eleanor purchased land off Indian Hill Road in West Tisbury, near the family home of Henry Beetle Hough. The Vineyard Gazette of June 3, 1966, reported that the family “took possession, so to speak, of their new domain, the ridge lot they are purchasing from Charles G. Norton. They did so in the old fashioned way by pitching a tent and camping over the weekend.”

Over a period of years, Warren built and then expanded a house on the property, hammering and sawing away countless weekends and vacation days, often assisted by his son Eric. The house, later professionally expanded, is still enjoyed by his family.

Warren grew up in State College, Penn., and in high school was starting center on the basketball team and president of the student council. He earned degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. In 1959, he married Eleanor Bronson; they separated in 1978 and were later divorced.

He married Lisl Urban in 1992. As a lawyer in Boston, he spent over 50 years representing workers and labor unions in New England, and was the senior founding partner of Pyle Rome Ehrenberg PC. He proudly represented a wide variety of labor unions, including locals of the United Steelworkers, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the Service Employees International Union, the International Association of Fire Fighters, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, as well as faculty unions at Boston University, Emerson College, Berklee College, and Wentworth Institute. He also represented individual clients in employment matters. He was long considered the dean of the labor bar in Boston and beyond, striving to vouchsafe and improve workers’ rights as he guided and mentored generations of lawyers to do the same.

In addition to his love of the Island and his devotion to his law practice, Warren had a lifelong love of choral music. At Harvard, he sang in the Glee Club and the University Choir, and later sang in many groups in the Boston area, including the Cantata Singers, the Back Bay Chorale, and the Boston Cecilia.

He is survived by his wife, Lisl Urban, his two sons Eric and Alex, five stepchildren, three grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on April 18 at Brookhaven at Lexington, 1010 Waltham Street, Lexington, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Warren Pyle ‘58 Fund at Harvard Law School at community.alumni.harvard.edu/give/51250117.