Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)
For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland
April 11, 2026 202-808-6129
PRESS RELEASE
CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF RICHARD SCHRADER
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands — Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett today issued the following statement on the passing of Richard Schrader, beloved son of St. Croix, author, poet, and cultural icon of the U.S. Virgin Islands:
“The Virgin Islands has lost one of its great storytellers and most devoted culture bearers. Richard Schrader spent his life making sure that who we are, including our traditions, our folklore, our history, would never be forgotten.
“From his early years on to his service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Mr. Schrader embodied the resilience and pride of the Virgin Islands people. After a distinguished career in law enforcement, he picked up a pen, and in doing so, gave our islands a voice that will endure for generations.
“Over nearly four decades and across twenty-eight books, Mr. Schrader catalogued our Virgin Islands traditions and folklore with extraordinary vividness and love. Works like St. Croix by Night, Notes of a Crucian Son, and In A Heartbeat: Stories of the Virgin Islands Army National Guard are not just books, they are our living memory. He was rightly honored as the Virgin Islands Humanities Council’s Humanist of the Year and penned the 2003 Inaugural Poem, a testament to how deeply his words are an integral piece of the fabric of our community.
“Mr. Schrader was a consummate gentleman. A reminder of Crucian men with quiet strength, tremendous capacity to give love and an enduring commitment to family, community and country. I will miss his kind words, his reassuring smile and the sense of safety, even in his advanced years, I would have when he was around or when his great niece Angeline Muckle Jabbar started, “I spoke to my Uncle….”
“I send my prayers for God’s comfort and peace to his wife Claudette, his children, and all who loved him — the people of the Virgin Islands grieve with you. Mr. Schrader’s stories will remain in our memories, reminding us of the pure strength and God-given grace of Virgin Islanders.”
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