OBITUARY NOTICE: Anne-Marie Danet of St. Thomas
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CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Governor Kenneth Mapp, on behalf of the Government and people of the United States Virgin Islands, extended profound condolences to the family and friends of Anne-Marie Danet, commonly known as the “Sunshine Lady.” She was 92 at the time of her passing.
Ms. Danet was born on St. Thomas. Her father, Pierre-Emile Danet, was a citizen of France who was born on the French island of Saint-Barthelemy and her mother, Marie-Helene Bernier, was born on St. Thomas during Danish rule. From an early age, Ms. Danet developed an interest in her French heritage and later became an acclaimed Virgin Islands culture bearer and author. She spent many decades researching and collecting data about her ancestors and the ancestors and descendants of French immigrants to the Antilles.
“The Virgin Islands has sadly lost a great “tradition bearer” who has studied and taught our enormous history and culture to future generations, Mapp said.
Danet rigorously researched and became a leading expert on the history of the French migration to the territory and brought awareness to the experiences of early residents, the governor said.
“Her work revealed the multiculturalism of the Virgin Islands,” said Governor Mapp. “We are a better people because of her significant contributions to historical preservation and education.”