Noel Orcutt of Edgartown died at home on Dec. 10. He was 92.

He was born on Dec. 21, 1928 at Fort Bragg, the youngest child of career army officer John Orcutt and Irene Orcutt, a registered nurse. Noel, along with his older brother John and sister Mazelle, grew up on army bases around the country, where his father’s career took them. In 1941 Noel’s family was living at Schofield Army Barracks in Hawaii and lived through the Pearl Harbor attack that began America’s entry into World War II. In later years, his mother would tell the story of during the attack, trying to stop 12-year-old Noel from running through the yard to pick up the spent brass shell casings from the attacking Japanese fighter planes.

Noel was a graduate of the Moses Brown School and American International College. During his school years and his military service, he was a standout athlete in swimming and in baseball. During his service in the Air Force he was a member of the Air Force all-star baseball team.

In 1950, while working in the family lumber business in New Bedford, he met nursing student Bernice Wells. They married in 1951 and shortly after that moved to Bernice’s home town of Edgartown where they raised four children over the next 50 years together.

Noel’s work ethic and dedication were second to none. He was an accomplished carpenter and took great pride in finish cabinetry. He had worked at Burnham and Magnuson, the Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard and the Vineyard Haven Post Office. For several years he was the director of the Martha’s Vineyard Youth Center and a member of the St. Andrew’s Church vestry.

He took special pride in his role as a father and grandfather. Whether it was taking the family to swim at Bend in the Road Beach, playing games of catch in the backyard, or attending the school athletic events of his children, his greatest joy was the time he spent with family.

Visiting Grandpa was a highlight of every summer for his grandchildren. Seafood dinners, dessert at the Dairy Queen, and watching the Red Sox each night were cherished traditions.

Noel was predeceased by his son Stephen and wife Bernice. He is survived by his sons Gregory and his wife Mary of West Tisbury, Andrew of Horseshoe Bay, Tex., and Peter and his wife Mary of Beaverton, Ore. He also leaves grandchildren, Meaghan, Elizabeth, Matthew and Hannah, along with six great-grandchildren.