76.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesCELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR JIMMY BOUKAS

CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR JIMMY BOUKAS

Saturday evening, friends, acquaintances and patrons of James "Jimmy" Boukas met at Zorba's to celebrate his life. More than 100 well-wishers overflowed from the restaurant where they all had spent many hours with one of St. Thomas' most loved restaurateurs.
It was a close crowd with many individuals greeting old friends who had been away or simply drifted away, but had come together to remember this loving man.
Boukas died in Chicago on New Year's day after a year-long battle with brain cancer.
James Anderson, one of Jimmy's many "best friends," provided the music and got the formal celebration going by recounting memories of Jimmy. Then a good baker's dozen of Jimmy's close friends recounted anecdotes that held special meaning for them.
One woman included a moving reading from the Illuminata by Marianne Williamson giving Jimmy to God and thanking God for sharing Jimmy with us all.
One of the messages of the evening was what Jimmy gave to community — over and over offering a place for friends to meet and organizations to hold meetings and artists to show their work.
Zorba's was less of a restaurant and more of a living room for all who gathered there.
In Zorba's garden there is a message on the trellis that Jimmy had inscribed and that appears to say it all: "You have your brush, you have your colors, you paint paradise, then in you go! Nkos Kazantzakis."

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.