Kathryn Ann Winther died on Aug. 6, at the Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital. She was a long-time resident of St. Croix, arriving in 1968 and having accepted a position with the Virgin Islands National Bank. She defied cancer when first diagnosed in 1982, and fought a long and courageous battle against the disease.
Ann earned an FBA degree at the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1957 prior to being accepted by Yale University at the graduate level. She also completed graduate courses at the University of Oregon and New York University. Prior to her move to St. Croix, her career included public service television programming aired throughout the United States and human resources management in New York City.
Her career in the Virgin Islands banking industry expanded to include public relations, marketing and advertising in addition to total human resources and training management for the Virgin Islands National Bank. She became the first female in the V.I. banking industry to become a vice president. She remained with the bank and its successors — First Pennsylvania Bank and CoreStates Bank — and on St. Croix with the Virgin Islands Community Bank until she retired in 1997 as vice president and general manager.
Active in various St. Croix community service organizations, she served on the boards of directors of Dorothy Raedler’s St. Croix School of Arts, The St. Croix Animal Welfare Center and the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce. She worked as a volunteer and strong opponent of the Beal Aerospace Development at Great Pond Bay.
She is survived by numerous cousins and friends in the U.S. as well as friends she calls family in the V.I. and by her beloved cat Tigger.
Ann’s wish was to be cremated and have no services. Contributions in her memory may be made to any charity of choice that furthers the preservation of land and/or care and welfare of animals.
