Richard Neysa Cohen of West Tisbury, an avid sailboater and birder, died on Dec. 25 in the company of family. He was 82.

Richard made many enduring friendships on the Vineyard after settling in West Tisbury with the love of his life, Toni.

His second love was sailing. He sailed for pleasure and competition in Menemsha Pond with Howard Coe and Blake Middleton. He also participated in a number of adventurous sailboat deliveries, some being trans-Atlantic. He was the captain of the Hereshoff S Boat, Alise, the Cape Dory Typhoon, Stardust, and the 12.5 Hereshoff, Harmony.

He was a graceful skier and enjoyed skiing with his sister, Elaine. He was skilled at tennis and was fond of playing chess and also fond of reading, notably maritime, adventure, crime and military books, both fiction and nonfiction.

He moved to the Vineyard in 1972 with his wife, Toni, in response to a Martha’s Vineyard Youth Hostel employment ad. The two worked at the hostel for several years. With a handshake loan from banker Bill Honey, Richard and Toni purchased a lot and built a home with the help of friends.

In 1974, he was committed to celluloid in an uncredited role in Jaws. In a striped shirt and blue jeans, sporting his signature brush mustache, he is seen wheeling Hooper’s shark cage across a dock to the Orca as the boat is prepped to hunt the shark.

He enjoyed traveling the world with Toni and also enjoyed hosting dinner parties with her. At these parties were many friends who also had settled on the Vineyard from elsewhere, including Len Morris, Richard’s longtime wine, debate and escapade buddy, and Lanny McDowell, with whom Richard spent countless hours in pursuit of their shared passion of birdwatching.

Later in life, he took up drawing with his granddaughter which became a favorite activity for both.

He was born in Chelsea on Nov. 11, 1942, the son of Israel and Frances Cohen. He grew up in Winthrop, and graduated Hebron Academy in 1961 and went on to earn a BA in English at the University of Pennsylvania in 1965. In 1972 he earned a masters of science and education from Boston University.

He served in the Navy as a disbursing officer during the Vietnam War aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Duluth (LPD 6). He was honorably discharged in 1970.

Richard met Toni in Athens, Ga. on a blind date in 1966. They were married in Miami on July 1, 1967. On the Vineyard, after they had moved on from the youth hostel, Richard and Toni owned and operated the Edgartown apparel store, Chica, from 1983 to 1995. Richard also worked in real estate and was the vice president of a film distribution company.

He died peacefully in Bourne following a long illness.

He is survived by his wife Toni Cohen, his daughter Amanda Saltzberg (Rich) of West Tisbury, his granddaughter Electra Saltzberg of West Tisbury, sister Elaine Cohen (Donald Milotte) of Newburyport, his niece Rachel Goldberg (Susan Cook) of Florence, his nephew Jessup Goldberg Cook of Prescott, Ariz., his nephew Eli Goldberg Cook of St. Augustine, Fla., his cousins Jeffrey Gould (Benina) of Berkley, Calif. and Joseph Douglas (Cynthia) of Salem, and his rescue dog, Mosie. 

He is predeceased by his parents and his brothers Henry Cohen and Robert Cohen.

A private ceremony at sea will take place in January. “I was set free! I dissolved into the sea, became white sails and flying spray, became beauty and rhythm, became moonlight and the ship and the high dim-starred sky!” Eugine O’Neal.

The family would like to thank Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, The Center for Living, Caring Hospice of Falmouth and Bourne Manor for their loving and respectful care.

In lieu of flowers please donate to Hospice & Palliative Care of Martha’s Vineyard, 455 State Road, PMB 244 Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.