Frank J. Pfister died on Jan. 8 at his son’s residence. He was 88 years old.
Frank Pfister was born and raised in Queens, N.Y., on Sept. 14, 1928, the youngest of five sisters and one brother. After spending two years serving our country in the Army in 1951-1952, he married Joan Rizzo in 1953, building a house almost by himself in Massapequa, Long Island, N.Y. for his wife and two children. He was a carpenter by trade.
In 1973, when there was a construction lull in Long Island, he relocated to St. Thomas with his wife and son. Over the next 20 plus years, he would work as the construction foreman for Armour Enterprises, overseeing the development of many projects including the building of the Greenhouse, renovation of Royal Dane Mall and development of Mahogany Run. It was his crew that did the renovation of the Old Stone Farmhouse from derelict farmhouse to elegant restaurant.
After his divorce in the mid 80s and retirement from Armour Enterprises, he settled in at Fairway Village at Mahogany Run where he was its first resident. Never one to rest on his laurels, he would become the property manager at Fairway Village for a number of years.
During the 70s and 80s, he was known around the island as a pool player spending time at the Side Pocket in Frenchtown and Slipaway in Red Hook. He loved to dance to the beat of the island’s music and was a regular on Sunday at Sapphire during its heyday. He was an early member of the Infernos Carnival Troupe.
His other passion was golf. He played the course at Mahogany Run just about every Saturday morning from the course’s inception in 1980 until 2004 when his knees gave out. His biggest disappointment was not getting a hole in one, but he was pleased to break 80 on two occasions.
He is survived by his two children: Jami Pfister of St. Thomas and Laura Perrault of Clifton Park, N.Y.; grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
His remains will be cremated. There will be no services at this time.
Arrangements are under the care of Hurley Funeral Home and Cremation Center of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and Tortola.
For directions and online condolences, please visit us at www.hurleydavisfuneral home.com
