It is with great sadness and profound love that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother, nephew, husband, father and uncle Alexander Peter Emanuel.
Alexander was born on a beautiful December day to Dr. Lezmore Emanuel (deceased) and Sonia Ottley Emanuel (now Sonia Waters) in New York in 1958. His parents brought him to St. Thomas at the young age of 2, where he began to grow up and was subsequently entered into school. In his youth, Alex attended All Saints, Antilles and graduated from Charlotte Amalie High School in 1977.
Upon graduation, he entered the U.S. Army and served in the 326th Medical Battalion 101st Airborne Division (ASSLT) where he was an SP4, Fort Campbell, Ky. While enlisted, he earned a Sharpshooter Badge M16 Rifle, Aircraft Crewman Badge and a Good Conduct Medal. He was also a trained utility helicopter repairer.
Upon discharge from the Army, Alex worked for the Department of Health, Schneider Regional Medical Center, Legislature of the Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands Department of Justice’s Paternity and Child Support Division, and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor under the Farrelly and Hodge administrations.
After his time in Virgin Islands government service, Alex started and ran a computer tech company that contracted through UPS Logistics, a multinational company, for six years, providing Dell Computer technician services for the St. Thomas and BVI airports, travel agencies as well as for individual clients throughout the USVI and BVI that utilized those computer systems. He employed three other techs as well.
He met the love of his life, Cecilia Milliner, in 1988 when she was a summer intern with the Virgin Islands Legislature’s Hire-A-Youth Program. After a two-year courtship that began in 1989, they were united in holy matrimony on March 23, 1991. Alex loved to travel and took his new bride to Venezuela, Aruba, St. Maarten, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Martin and several states on the mainland. The goal was to see all 50 states together!
He was family oriented from day one and the couple was blessed with one fantastic son, Michael, a senior at the University of Rochester. Alex and Cece celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary in March of this year. They were inseparable. They shared life’s experiences together and learned to function as a unit. Alex fully supported Cece in her bids for a Senate seat in the 29th and 30th Legislatures of the Virgin Islands. He was her biggest and most loyal fan.
But as a father, he excelled. Michael was the apple of his eye! He was so very proud of his accomplishments. The day Michael graduated from high school, Alex was beaming with pride and smiled so much everyone teased him that his face was going to stay that way! He didn’t care, he smiled even more!!
On April 9, 2019, Alex succumbed and left this world as quietly as he entered it. He was and is a man of great strength, dignity and love. He will be profoundly missed by everyone he touched. His gentle voice, infectious sense of humor and analytical mind will stay with those who knew him – he will never be forgotten.
Alex leaves to carry on his legacy of greatness his loving and devoted wife, Cecilia Milliner-Emanuel; son, Michael A. Emanuel; mother-in-law, Rosetta Milliner; mother, Sonia Ottley Emanuel Waters; brothers: Lezmore Anthony, Alaric and Aji Emanuel, and Dr. Devon Briggs; sister, Dr. Ako Emanuel; stepmother, Phyllis Emanuel; nephews: David and Darrien Emanuel; the Ottley and Emanuel families; as well as many other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.
The life celebration for Alexander Peter Emanuel will be held Monday, April 29, at Turnbull’s Funeral Home and Crematory Services. Tributes will be from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., with the celebration from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. All persons are asked to wear festive colors and be ready to celebrate a truly amazing man!
