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Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesGovernor Expresses Condolences to Family of Morris Paiewonsky

Governor Expresses Condolences to Family of Morris Paiewonsky

Governor John P. de Jongh Jr. today offered his sympathies to the family and friends of the late Morris Paiewonsky, who died Sunday at the age of 102. "Morris Paiewonsky was a wonderful, wonderful man, who was widely respected in our community. He was a businessman, the patriarch of a successful and loving family, and a delightful friend. He will be sorely missed,” de Jongh stated.
Morris Paiewonsky was born in the Dominican Republic in 1911 but moved to St. Thomas when he was nine years old to attend the Belgian Nun School and learn English. Two years later he moved to New York City where he completed his high school education. After one year at New York University and two years at St. Louis University, he returned to the Dominican Republic, where he worked for his father before managing the distribution of Universal Films in the capital city. Married by then with four children, Paiewonsky moved his family to Uruguay, Peru and finally St. Thomas in 1957 to manage movie distribution and theaters.
Paiewonsky, who was the cousin of Governor Ralph Paiewonsky and his brother Isidor, became a successful Virgin Islands businessman with both movie theaters and real estate holdings. For more than 40 years, he maintained an office in the Sugar Estate Building, which at one time housed Cinema One.
In 1987, Morris lost his wife of fifty years, Hulda, after celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. After this loss, he continued to work every day. In more recent years, he started his daily routine with breakfast at The Delly Deck with a covey of female friends before heading to the office.
"Cecile and I offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Paiewonsky’s children Albert, Sheila, Irving and Edgar; their spouses, including former Delegate to Congress Ron de Lugo; the Paiewonsky grandchildren and great-grandchildren; numerous other family members in the territory, Dominican Republic and elsewhere; his many friends; and his countless admirers. The community has lost a truly great individual, a gentleman in every sense of the word, and a kind and generous human being," the Governor concluded.

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