Walter Eugene Delaney died on August 26 with his daughter Gayle by his side. He had moved from his beautiful Aquinnah home overlooking Vineyard Sound in June, while being escorted out of town by the Aquinnah fire department, the Aquinnah police department, and many well-wishers along the way. He then resided at the Brightview Arlington Assisted Living Community to be closer to his family. He was 84 and had been diagnosed with cancer of the lung and liver.

Walter was born on Dec. 29, 1929 in Boston, the only child of the late Walter A. Delaney and Mary E. (Winters). He was raised in Woburn, attending the St. Charles School and graduating from the Medford Vocational High School (Printing) in 1948.

He married Nancy A. Hall on Dec. 23, 1951 after a year of courtship. Nancy had also attended Medford High School. They spent two weeklong vacations at a friend’s cottage on the Vineyard before deciding to purchase their own summer retreat in 1960. With their infant daughter Gayle, they divided their time between their home in Woburn and their cottage on the north shore of what was once Gay Head.

Walter worked in newspapers, then press manufacturing for several years before opening his own business — the Walter E. Delaney Company. He spent nearly 40 years repairing and calibrating printing presses. Nancy was the bookkeeper for their company. They retired to the Vineyard full time in 1991, but not before Walter had made a name for himself in the community. Over the years, he served as a Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank commissioner, town auditor, vice chairman of the Gay Head taxpayers’ association, and a member of the town conservation commission. At the state level, he served as a board member on the hearing committee of the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers as well as on the board of the Massachusetts Moderators Association. He served for nine years as a Gay Head selectman (from 1990 to 1999) and was named Gay Head fire chief in 1994, serving until his retirement in November 2011. He was the recipient of many plaques and awards over the years and was recognized for his many accomplishments.

He would often recall the years when the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) was trying to gain federal recognition as some of the most interesting and most challenging years. This was during a time when he started to get a little more involved in town politics. He recalled a meeting on Nov. 19, 1985, when the town finally voted to support the tribe in the bid for federal recognition. Just prior to the last special town meeting for the final vote, the general court in Massachusetts passed a law allowing television cameras at open meetings in the commonwealth. Aquinnah was the first town in the com monwealth to allow national television cameras from ABC, NBC, and CBS descend upon the town. Walter’s interest in the tribe was evident in the fact that he retained the original issues of the Vineyard Gazette during those years.

Walter and Nancy were seasonal residents of Aquinnah in May of 1975 when Walter received a telephone call at 7 a.m. from local real estate broker Nell Howell. She had two questions: did he plan to attend town meeting that night, and if so, would he accept the nomination of moderator? Thus began his career as town moderator for the next 35 years. How it came about, he had no idea, but he was nominated from the floor that evening and took out election papers at the next annual town meeting. Walter was always fair. In his role as town moderator, he presided over dozens of meetings in his signature red sweater. Going row by row, he allowed voters an orderly platform from which to speak on controversial issues, giving everyone who wanted to speak at least two and sometimes three chances, depending on the topic. In May 2010, he presided over his last town meeting, having decided not to run for office again. After turning the gavel over to Michael Hebert, Walter joined Nancy in the audience for the first time in 35 years.

Initially, it took him a while to adjust to town meeting the way it was conducted then, and it took him a couple of years to get used to people in town. Things were very different then, but people were respectful of Walter. The first town budget that passed under his rule as moderator was just shy of $175,000. In May 2010 the budget approved by voters was nearly $3 million. “That just goes to show how the town grew,” he said, and he grew right along with it. During his tenure, issues included the change of the town’s name from Gay Head to Aquinnah, and the meeting in which the town approved the settlement agreement with the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe, ending years of litigation between the governments. He oversaw the enactment of numerous land-use regulations and the creation of the townwide Aquinnah district of critical planning concern. As a land bank commissioner, he led the way for the acquisition and preservation of important properties throughout the Island. His advice was simple and direct: “Residents need to get more involved, to fill all these committees that need volunteers, especially the finance committee.” Walter and Nancy both served the Aquinnah community well with its best interests at heart.

On Nov. 13, 2011 Aquinnah firefighters, town officials and residents, fire chiefs and public safety officials from across the Vineyard attended a gathering at the Aquinnah town hall that included more than 100 people and a potluck dinner honoring Walter for his 17 years of dedication as town fire chief. Letters of appreciation were read from members of the legislature and from Rep. William Keating. Walter was presented with an American flag that had flown over the capitol building in Washington, D.C. He had also been an instructor in fire fighting.

He served in the United States Navy Reserves during the 1950s.

Nancy and Walter spent their retirement years as proud grandparents, enjoying their grandson Raymond and his achievements as a musician studying the viola while furthering his education at the The Boston Conservatory in Boston and as part of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.

Walter was predeceased by his beloved wife Nancy on July 10, 2013. He is survived by his devoted daughter Gayle M. Delaney and her husband Andrew Dineen and their son Raymond Dineen, who was most cherished by his grandparents.

Services were held on Sept. 4 in Woburn. Interment is private.

Remembrances may be made in Walter E. Delaney’s name to the Aquinnah Fire Department, 63 State Road, Aquinnah, MA 02535.