Shirley Govine of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands died on Tuesday, March 22, at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, New York, due to cardiac arrest. Shirley was 80 years old.
She was born on March 12, 1936, on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and attended grammar school and high school on St. Thomas. Shirley saved her money and, in 1956, when she was 19 years of age, moved to New York City. She subsequently sent for her daughter, Jacqueline, her mother, Elsa Govine, and her sister, Clarice Carter. Shirley worked as a housekeeper in hotels and in private homes. She attended Apex Beauty School, where she graduated as a professional beautician, and worked in this capacity for Powder Puff Salon in Harlem.
In 1970 she returned to the Virgin Islands, settling on St. Croix, where she started her own salon in Christiansted. Her daughter, Jacqueline, and her mother, Elsa, remained and continued to live in New York City.
In later years, Shirley was well known as an entrepreneur who created a variety of popular, homemade, meat and vegetable patties, which she sold at festivals, markets and to her dedicated clients. Over the years, she worked hard and enjoyed traveling a great deal. In fact, she had just returned from an 80th birthday trip to Thailand with her daughter, Jacqueline, at the time of her death.
Shirley was predeceased by her mother, Elsa; sisters: Clarice Carter and Grace Gathers; and niece, Maxine Gathers.
She is survived by her daughter, Jacqueline Frazer; sister, Dorothy Sewer; nieces: Erika Carter, Tina Carter, Julie Sewer and Janeice Isles; nephews: Wayne Carter, Walter Carter, Mark Gathers, Matthew Gathers, Marvin Gathers, John Ludvig and James Ludvig; as well as many grandnieces and grandnephews.
She was honored to be a member of the “Speak The Word Ministry” and will be mourned and missed by her church family, as well as her own family and a host of friends. A private memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 2.
