Paul Leary

Lew James as a young man (Photo provided by his daughter Melissa Rose) If you encountered Lew James on a dark street you would be strongly tempted to walk the other way. His appearance combined the looks of a pirate, a vagabond and a biker. Thin hair drawn back into a ponytail. Wrap around sunglasses. Shirt open to the waist. Bedraggled shorts. Bare feet. And a dour expression. But in Lew’s case – as is so often true – appearances were deceiving. Very deceiving. Lew was deeply intellectual.

A U.S. House of Representatives photo of former Delegate to Congress Ron de Lugo. (U.S. House of Representatives) As the author of the pamphlet prepared for the dedication of the De Lugo Federal Building that was referenced in your fine obituary, I would like to add emphasis to the point you made about Ron’s work on immigration reform. The development of tourism in the Virgin Islands was reliant on the contributions of Eastern Caribbean immigrants in the service and construction sectors.