It is with great sadness that we pause to honor the life of Robert L. Merwin, one of the founding members and greatest supporter of the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce. We offer our condolences to Mr. Merwin’s family as they mourn the passing of a truly great man. Born in Estate Sprat Hall in 1930 and baptized at St. Paul’s, Mr. Merwin remained deeply devoted to his beloved hometown of Frederiksted and the island of St. Croix. Mr. Merwin was a businessman from the very start, having earned five cents a day as a child working with cattlemen in Sprat Hall. For decades, Mr. Merwin was a successful steward of his family’s business, originally founded in 1892. We are proud of the heritage that Mr. Merwin carried with him, well catalogued in The History of Rob’t L. Merwin & Co., 1892 to 2005. From our perspective at the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, we are most grateful for Mr. Merwin’s passionate support of the St. Croix business community and tireless lobbying for passage of pro-business policies and municipal government. Mr. Merwin was always eager to share ideas for the further development of our business community and, particularly, St. Croix’s ports. As recently as last Thursday night at a Chamber event, Mr. Merwin eagerly discussed his plans for re-energizing St. Croix’s port-related businesses. Mr. Merwin served on the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 1958-1968 and 1978-1982; was Vice-President from 1962-1966 and President in 1966. We at the Chamber are very proud that Mr. Merwin accepted the Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Of course, the Chamber of Commerce did not have a monopoly on Mr. Merwin’s time or philanthropic energies. Mr. Merwin was a charter member of the Rotary Club of St. Croix and a founding member of the St. Croix Landmarks Society, Our Town Frederiksted and the St. Croix Jobs Partnership. In addition to numerous other causes and endeavors, Mr. Merwin also devoted his time to the V.I. Police Department Community Integration Team. Mr. Merwin’s passing leaves a large hole in more than just our hearts. Mr. Merwin expressed his love for Frederiksted and St. Croix through good works and tireless advocacy. We always knew we could count on Mr. Merwin’s presence and support. We at the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce hope that we can carry Mr. Merwin’s legacy forward as we work to achieve his vision of a thriving St. Croix business community, complete with busy ports and bustling shops. As we pause in remembrance of the exemplary life led by Mr. Merwin, let us not only think of the past. Let us each commit to work to achieve Mr. Merwin’s vision for our future. Sincerely, Mark Eckard, for the Board of Directors St. Croix Chamber of Commerce
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 19:39:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015