PROVINCETOWN — Frederico Pedro Rocha Jr. of Provincetown, known as “Freddie,” died on Dec. 29, 2019 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis after falling ill on Shank Painter Road. He was 68. Born in Westerly, R.I., a son of Patricia Ann [Joseph] and the late Frederico Rocha Sr., he spent most of his life at […]
Obituaries
OBITUARY
Paul ‘PJ’ Joseph, 77, Fisherman and Builder
Was one of 17 children of Provincetown family
Paul R. Joseph, 77, known as “PJ,” died in his sleep at Cape Cod Hospital on Dec. 28, 2019. He was 77. Paul had two children, Patty and Paul, from his first marriage. Paul later married Carmela Bonfini, who brought her five children to his family. He and Carmela lived together for many years in […]
OBITUARY
Services Set for Donald Thomas, the ‘Dancing Cop’
PROVINCETOWN — Services for Donald John Thomas, best known as Provincetown’s legendary “Dancing Cop,” will begin on Friday, Jan. 17. Thomas died peacefully in his favorite chair at home in Eastham on the morning of Dec. 7, 2019. He was 92 years old. Family and friends are invited to call on the family at the Gately […]
OBITUARY
Anton ‘Napi’ Van Dereck Haunstrup Is Dead at 87
The restaurateur, art collector, and nature lover was larger than life
PROVINCETOWN — Anton “Napi” Van Dereck Haunstrup, 87, who held onto the town’s rustic, bohemian past with his vast art collection, his stock of employee housing, and his 45-year-old restaurant, died at Cape Cod Hospital on Christmas Day due to complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia. In one of Provincetown’s two “Napi-villes,” a […]
OBITUARY
Freddie Rocha’s Life Ends in Town He Loved
Denizen of the streets will be remembered in photos and hearts
PROVINCETOWN — Frederico “Freddie” Rocha Jr. died on Dec. 29, 2019 after suffering an apparent heart attack on Shank Painter Road on his way to buy his morning coffee at Cumberland Farms, according to his friend and caretaker David Chick. He was 68. He had left home around 6 a.m. and collapsed near the Provincetown […]
REMEMBERING NAPI
Friends Reflect On Napi Van Dereck
Napi Van Dereck’s Single-Minded Pursuit Peppery, garrulous, ebullient, discerning, resourceful, crafty, steeped in local lore, and deeply rooted on the Outer Cape, Napi Van Dereck may have looked like an ornery eccentric, but he had the instincts of a master. He, his wife, Helen, and a crew of imaginative artists and artisans — Jackson Lambert, […]
OBITUARIES
Mel Coté, Who Helped Create College of the Atlantic, Dies at 82
An educator known also for his dancing and Halloween costumes
Melville Peter Coté of Provincetown died on Nov. 27, 2019 at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers. He was 82. His death came as a result of the combined effects of Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. Mel was a lifelong educator and student and a true Renaissance man. He was an avid traveler, gardener, fisherman, […]
Jo Lynne Hohl, 62, Enjoyed a Life Well-Lived
A server at Front Street for 30 years
PROVINCETOWN — Long-time Provincetown resident Jo Lynne Hohl died on Dec. 5, 2019 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was 62. Jo Lynne was born on July 9, 1957 in Huntingburg, Ind. to the late Donald J. and Joella J. Hohl. She grew up in Chandler, Ariz. and came to […]
OBITUARIES
John Michael Petti, 61, a stained-glass artist
PROVINCETOWN — John Michael Petti died at his home here as a result of cardiac arrest on Dec. 13, 2019. He was 61, and had suffered from AIDS as well as injuries sustained in an automobile accident. John was born in Brockton, the son of John A. and Mary Frances Petti. He came to the […]
William S. McFeely, 89, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian
Historian and longtime Wellfleet resident William S. McFeely died on Dec. 11, 2019, in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. He was 89 years old. Born in New York City, Bill, as he was known, grew up in Wyckoff, N.J., and attended Amherst College. After eight years working as a banker, he pursued a Ph.D. in American studies […]
Robert J. Bednarek, 91, architect and beachcomber
PROVINCETOWN — Robert J. Bednarek of Truro died on Dec. 7, 2019, at Seashore Point Wellness Center. He was 91. Robert was born on Nov. 24, 1928, in Berlin, Wis., the son of Bernard and Mary (Butler) Bednarek, and raised on their dairy farm in central Wisconsin. Robert was proud of his rural upbringing; he […]
Mary Jane Kelman, 75, Was a Scientist and Artist
Mary Jane Kelman, who was known as “Kelly,” died on Dec. 13, 2019 at Cape Cod Hospital, where she was being treated for complications from heart disease. Born on Nov. 27, 1944, in Bridgeport, Conn., Kelly lived in Provincetown since the 1970s and was a familiar member of the MacMillan Pier art community. In her […]
OBITUARY
Donald Thomas, Who Danced to Traffic Cop Fame, Dies at 92
His defining trait, besides stubbornness, was selflessness
PROVINCETOWN — The man responsible for the longest running show in Provincetown died at home in his sleep on Dec. 7, 2019. Donald “the Dancing Cop” Thomas, who lived with his daughter, Donna, in Eastham, was 92. Perhaps more than any other street spectacle in this colorful town, Thomas’s graceful steps and spins, done to […]
OBITUARY
Artist Elspeth Halvorsen Vevers, an Alchemist in the Studio, Dies at 90
PROVINCETOWN — Elspeth Halvorsen Vevers, an icon of Provincetown’s art community and a resident since the mid-1950s, died peacefully at home on Nov. 17, 2019, her daughters Stephanie and Tabitha holding her hands. She was 90 years old. She was known for her luminous box constructions, finely wrought from the humblest of materials. Until being […]
OBITUARIES
Richard Salvador Sr., 73, Was Lifelong Provincetown Fisherman
PROVINCETOWN — Richard David Salvador, Sr., 73, of Provincetown died unexpectedly on Nov. 11, 2019 at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, surrounded by his family. The community is mourning the sudden loss of one of its most respected commercial fishermen. Born in Provincetown, son of the late Ferdinand and Philomena (Cordeiro) Salvador, Richard followed in […]
