Eileen Huggins, loving mother of Monique and Orlando, passed away peacefully on Jan. 10, 2026, in Gainesville, Florida. Her passing leaves an emptiness that words cannot fully describe, but her love, faith, and example remain deeply rooted in the hearts of all who knew her.
Eileen was born in Christiansted, St. Croix, in 1935, the second child of Ingerborg Cartier-Henry and Irvin Henry, Sr. She grew up in Gallows Bay, where she developed the strong values and deep faith that guided her throughout her life. She attended the St. Croix Seventh-day Adventist School and later traveled to Trinidad to complete her high school education. She eventually married Vernon E. Huggins, and together they welcomed their two cherished children, Monique and Orlando.
Eileen devoted many years of her professional life to public service, working for the Virgin Islands Government in the Department of Health and Human Services. She retired in 1990 after serving as Director of Personnel, a role she carried out with dedication, fairness, and care for others.
Life after retirement allowed Eileen to fully enjoy the things she loved most. She was an avid reader and an enthusiastic traveler who appreciated the beauty of the world. She also had a deep love for working with her hands. Whether she was planting fruit trees, tending her ferns and orchids, creating ceramics, weaving baskets, macramé, crocheting, decorating cakes, or sharing cultural demonstrations of the Crucian Market Basket at Whim Great House, the Agricultural Fair, and St. John’s Virgin Islands National Park Service sites, Eileen found joy in creating and teaching. Her nieces and nephews, inspired by her basketry skills and commitment to culture, honored her legacy through the formation of Crucian Bayside Creations.
Eileen’s faith was the foundation of her life. She was a devoted and active member of the Christiansted Seventh-day Adventist Church, where she taught adult Sabbath School, sang in the choir, and lovingly guided young people as a Pathfinder Club director and counselor. She believed in living her faith, not just speaking it. Family, friends, food, and laughter were important to her, but serving God and serving others came first. She regularly shared meals and cupcakes with the homeless and those in need at the Christiansted Market, quietly showing God’s love through her actions.
Eileen lived by the Word, and the scriptures that guided her life reflect the way she treated others—with humility, kindness, and peace. Her favorite Bible verses were:
Micah 6:8 – “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”
Romans 12:18 – “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.”
Proverbs 19:17 – “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward them for what they have done.”
Funeral Services for Eileen Huggins will be held on Feb. 1, at the Christiansted Seventh-day Adventist Temple.
Interment will follow at Kingshill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to the Christiansted Seventh-day Adventist Temple, designated for the Southgate Development Fund, in honor of Eileen’s memory.
