Eugene Lawrence (Larry) Luening died, after a long illness, on Nov. 1, at his home in Edgartown, surrounded by his family and his favorite music. He was 58.

Larry was born in Plymouth on June 7, 1952, to Ruth and Gene Luening of Oak Bluffs. With his family, he lived in Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Indiana, summering always on the Vineyard. In 1969, he moved here, full-time, and he graduated from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in 1971.

He married Carol Thatcher of Vineyard Haven in 1973 and moved to the Boston area, where he worked at Raytheon Corp. for six years. More importantly, while off-Island, he was able to attend major league sporting events! He was a serious Bruins fan. He bought Celtics season tickets when they were nine dollars a seat, and was invited, occasionally, to sit with Red Auerbach during the quiet Sydney Wicks years. Then, as with many of us, his love of the Vineyard brought him home in 1981.

Larry worked diligently at his day jobs with the Bunch of Grapes, Hear-Say Music, and the town of Tisbury, but music was his passion. As a teen in the late 1960s, he learned to play the drums, encouraged by his parents (who sound-proofed his bedroom). On the Island, he played with various bands over the years, including Mercy Beat, Nigel, The Dogs of Love and X-Nigel.

He was intensely interested in music, particularly of the 1950s to 1980s and had an encyclopedic knowledge of bands of that era that awed his musical family and friends. According to band-mate John O’Toole, Larry was the World’s Nicest Person and he and other band-mates, including Rick Padilla, Al Lucas, Anna Walton and Tom Mahoney were honored to have known and played with him.

Larry was a humble, humorous, kind and private man. He was a beloved son, who played weekly scrabble with his mom for years, before her death in 2002. He was adored by his two sisters and was the fortunate mate of three wonderful women during his life. He was a close friend to several and well liked by everyone who met him. And he leaves a family who loved him deeply: his significant other and best friend, Maureen Tripp and her daughter, Ashley and son, Aaron; his sister, Louisa Luening, and her son, Erich, and daughters, Sabrina and Talia; and sister, Margie Luening and her husband, Jeff Dando and his children, Holly and Evan Dando. He also leaves his grand-niece, Ella Luening. He will be sorely missed by those who knew him.

As he wished, a private memorial service will be held in West Tisbury in December.

The family thanks Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard and Island Hospice for their care, guidance and compassion. Donations in Larry’s memory may be made to Hospice of Martha’s Vineyard, P.O. Box 2549, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557 or Island Hospice, 107 Beach Road, Unit #4, P.O. Box 4188, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568.