In 2020 the Vineyard said goodbye to Islanders of many stripes. Readers are welcome and encouraged to add more names in the comment section.

Everett James (Captain Porky) Francis of Edgartown, who owned Capt. Porky's Bait and Tackle, died Jan. 4. He was 80.

Daniel Sharkovitz, the Vineyard's own Shark and longtime English teacher at the regional high school, died on Feb. 16. He was 68.

Doctor, peace activist and Chappaquiddick resident Dr. Siamak A. Adibi died on May 10. He was 88.

West Tisbury historian, justice of the peace, county commissioner and former longtime selectman, John S. Alley died March 19. He was 78.

Gary A. Jenkins, an entertainment attorney and longtime member of the Oak Bluffs summer community, died on March 29 after contracting the coronavirus. He was 58.

Known for her 40 years with the Island Theater Workshop and for appearing as Mrs. Kintner in the movie Jaws, Lee Fierro died on April 5 of complications from Covid-19. She was 91.

Richard S. Knight Jr. died on June 24 at his home on Chappaquiddick. He was a builder and was active in civic affairs both on Chappy and in Edgartown. He was 73.

Longtime resident of Chilmark, Betty Eddy, died at her home on the Eddy Farm on June 30. She died at 100, one week and one day.

Duncan MacDonald, a quiet powerhouse of a woman who lived a vibrant, varied life died and founded the Vineyard Scottish Society July 18 in Vineyard Haven. She was 104.

West Tisbury resident, writer, teacher, naturalist and traveler Shirley Mayhew died August 19 at her home in West Tisbury. She was 94.

Dennis daRosa, co-owner of daRosa’s Martha’s Vineyard Printing Company in Oak Bluffs and long a fixture in town civic duty and loyalty, died August 20. He was 71.

Former owner and operator of the Home Port Restaurant in Menemsha, Will Holtham died on Sept. 10. He was 71.

John Early, the former longtime West Tisbury selectman, Island builder and community activist, died Sept. 11. He was 74.

Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby weighmaster Roy Langley died at home on Sept. 12. He was 92.

The quintessential Vineyard woman, Jean S. Wexler was a cookbook author, Vineyard Gazette garden columniust, and founder of the West Tisbury Dumptique. She died Nov. 18 at 99.

Anne Wasson Gallagher died Dec. 17 of natural causes after a long life well lived. Anne was an active member of Featherstone Center for the Arts and long a patron of the arts on the Vineyard. She was 91.

Emma MacKay Hall died tragically on the evening of Dec. 19 at the young age of 22. She was the very definition of an Island girl and was working on her early education/special education degree at Lesley University, where she hoped to incorporate her love of dogs and art as therapeutic tools in her classroom.

Acclaimed cinematographer and Chilmark summer resident Michael Chapman, who fell in love with the Island as camera operator during the filming of Jaws, died on Sept. 20. He was 84.