John Daniel Hawke Jr. died surrounded by family at his home in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 3. He was 88.

He was an accomplished lawyer who served as the comptroller of the U.S. Currency from 1998 to 2004, administering a network of more than 2,000 national banks.

Known to most as Jerry, he was a loving father and grandfather, devoted husband and brother, and loyal partner and friend. His dry wit, keen intelligence and moral standards were evident in all he undertook.

He was born in New York city on June 26, 1933, the son of Olga Buchbinder and John Daniel Hawke. He grew up in Rockville Centre, N.Y. and attended South Side High School. He graduated from Yale University. After college, he joined the U.S. Air Force and worked as a public information officer.

For nearly 60 years, he practiced law at Arnold & Porter, establishing the firm’s financial institutions practice and serving as chairman from 1987 until 1995. In the early 1980s, his practice attracted many of the country’s largest banks and financial institutions. He argued and won a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, authored a treatise on banking regulation and studied the role of the futures market in the 1987 stock market crash.

In 1995, President Clinton named him Under Secretary of Treasury for Domestic Finance. In 2001, the department honored him with the Alexander Hamilton Award.

In the early 1960s, co-workers from the House of Representatives asked him to deliver a box of cookies to their colleague Josephine Marie Reddan. He did, and he fell in love at first sight. They married on June 15, 1962, had four children and enjoyed a wonderful life together until her death in 1991.

Jerry enjoyed a meaningful life outside of his work. He loved Italian Renaissance painting, photography, writing poetry, opera, collecting Mata Ortiz pottery and traveling the world.

His Vineyard connections began with a family vacation in 1968. He appreciated the Island’s history, geology, flora and birds and subscribed to the Dukes County Intelligencer for more 40 years. At the Chilmark Community Center, he and Marie played tennis, their children learned to sail and swim on Menemsha Pond, and everyone participated in the weekly square dances. He took recorder lessons above the Chilmark fire station and set up his daughters’ swap meet table at the Chilmark Community Church.

For many years, Jerry won blue ribbons at the Agricultural Fair for his home-caught, handmade smoked bluefish, the recipe for which he tinkered on for years and guarded as a state secret.

In 1978, the family moved to the old Ware estate on Main street in Vineyard Haven. It became home base for their many friends. Jerry and Marie became longstanding members of the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club and he served on its board of governors. He acquired a Soling and raced Accipiter with his sons and daughters.

Marie died in 1991. On Monday, Jan. 10, he was interred at her side in the Oak Grove Cemetery during a private ceremony with veteran’s honors. A memorial service is planned for later this year.

He is survied by his children: Daniel and his wife Jessica Blake of Cabin John, Md; daughter Caitlin and son in law John Kada of New York city; daughter Anne of Washington, D.C.; and son Patrick of Baltimore. He is also survived by grandchildren Spencer, Camerynn and Clare; his twin siblings Roger Hawke of New York city and sister Mary Todebush of Cutchogue, N.Y., and his companion Beverly Baker of Washington, D.C.

Donations can be made to Island Food Pantry.