Grew up in Princeton
NANTUCKET ISLAND, Mass. — W. Howe Constable died Aug. 13 of a heart attack. He was 54.
He was born in Providence, R.I. and raised in Princeton.
A resident of Nantucket Island, Mass., since his early 20s, he worked in his early years for the Nantucket Historical Association, built stage sets for the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket and served for two years as the Nantucket Yacht Club’s junior yacht club director. Eventually he ran his own business as a building contractor, specializing in interior remodeling and historic renovations.
In addition to his love of Nantucket’s history and architecture, he enjoyed music and sailing.
He was a 17-year member of the NCMC Chorus and toured with them off island.
He sailed his 21-foot “Nopque,” an Alden designed Indian-class boat, competitively for many years as a member of the Nantucket Yacht Club. He also enjoyed taking his sisters and his three nieces on expeditions around the island by land and by boat to help them better understand Nantucket’s history and ecology.
He was a founding director of the Nantucket Community Sailing Program.
He graduated from the Northwood School in Lake Placid, N.Y. and Northeastern University in Boston.
Son of the late Dr. W. Pepper Constable, he is survived by his mother, Betty Constable of Princeton, a former Princeton University squash coach; sisters Kacey C. Nugent of Old Saybrook, Conn., Margo Constable of Idledale, Colo., and Liza C. Hewitt of Nelson N.H.; brother W. Pepper Constable III of London; nieces Hadley Nugent, Piper Hewitt and Zoey Hewitt; and his nephews Philip and Jesse Constable.
A memorial service was held on Nantucket Aug. 22.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alan Newhouse Scholarship Fund at Nantucket Community Sailing, or to the NCMC/Nantucket School of Music.