Peter A. Curreri, M.D. of St. Thomas, V.I., passed away with the setting sun on Sept. 30, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was 86 years young. His passing was the result of heart disease.
He is survived by his wife, Lisa; son, Christopher of St. Thomas; and daughters: Ellen of Cumberland Foreside, Maine, and Alexis of Sausalito, California. He also is survived by two island mutts, Peanut and Cashew.
Dr. Curreri was born in Philadelphia, Penn., of immigrant Sicilian parents. He was the first in his family to ever graduate from a university, a graduate of Villanova University and Temple Medical School. He served his country as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, Strategic Air Command, stationed in London, England, during the Korean War. He served as the president of the Virgin Islands Medical Society in the 1970s. The doctor practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Abington, Penn., for over a decade. Disliking winter intensely, he moved to St. Thomas and called it home. He was the first board-certified OBGYN in the islands. If he leaves a legacy, it is that Dr. Curreri was a conservative physician from the old school. He took pride in wearing a white coat and tie with his stethoscope tucked into his pocket. Modern technical medicine has taken curative powers to a new level, but compassionate caring for the patient, one-on-one, perhaps, best marks Dr. Curreri’s medical mission.
In his last days spent at Massachusetts General Hospital, he reveled in the comradeship of his peers — even humorously forgiving them for not being able to “fix him.” Such is the complete understanding of one who has led a “good life” and knows that all good things must eventually come to an end, here on this Earth.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Oct. 16, at the St. Thomas Reformed Church on Crystal Gade. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Humane Society of St. Thomas or the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands.
