Longtime St. Croix resident Julie Printy died unexpectedly of natural causes at her home in Massachusetts on Dec 23, 2023, at age 62. The most kind-hearted and generous person to everyone she met, Julie will be remembered for her legacy of kindness and love, a true champion of community service.
Julie arrived on St. Croix in 1990 shortly after Hurricane Hugo. Her former bosses and dear friends, Phil and Mary Crosier, of Gannett Hardware in Portsmouth N.H. also owned Gallows Bay Hardware on St. Croix. They needed her help in the aftermath of the storm, and it was there she would work for many years.
Julie learned at an early age that giving and helping others brings and spreads joy, and it became her passion and life’s purpose to be generous and find opportunities to give, which, in the months and years after Hurricane Hugo, were plentiful as the St. Croix community was in dire need. Non-profit organizations, especially those that provide direct assistance to people, were dear to Julie’s heart. She became one of the original servers at My Brother’s Table, offering meals to the homeless. She helped start the Women’s Coalition’s Closet to Closet resale shop. She later became a board member of the Boys and Girls Club and had a natural gift with children.
Two of Julie’s friends owned the Cormorant Beach Club and Hotel and needed help managing it. Julie was happily entrenched at Gallows Bay Hardware, but her friends were not giving up and made her an offer she could not (and did not) refuse. Thus began Julie’s foray into the world of hospitality as general manager of the resort in 2000.
From 2000 to 2017, Julie managed the resort and became a grounding anchor through many changes: two additional resort owners, numerous hurricanes, property renovations, and a name change to The Palms at Pelican Cove. Through it all, Julie led by example, embracing and inspiring the staff to grow in experience and success. Her warm personality, light-hearted humor and generous spirit made The Palms feel like a family, and each guest was welcomed and treated like family. Over time, the hotel’s many returning guests would become her extended family, and she kept in touch with them through the years.
While serving as general manager at The Palms, Julie was elected to president of St. Croix Hotel & Tourism Association, and she was able to broaden the reach of her generosity with charitable contributions to meeting community needs. She offered The Palms as a meeting place for several organizations to gather and host events, such as The St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Coalition, St. Croix Animal Welfare Center, Chess Federation and many more. During the holidays, Julie proudly hosted the Holiday Hope Benefit at The Palms, and she encouraged other vendors to follow her lead and give back by donating food, liquor, equipment, expertise and time, with great success. In reducing the overhead for these events, the organizations were able to use the funds for what was most important to their cause. Each year in collaboration with the Marine’s Toys for Tots drive, Julie would volunteer to help distribute toys to the community’s children, wearing a big smile and offering a warmth that came from within.
Julie worked to sell the resort in 2017 and when the sale closed one week before Hurricane Maria, Julie stayed on to help the new owners clean up the property. When their home was nearly destroyed in the storm, and the resort was under new management, Julie felt it was the right time for her and Rushe, her beautiful Crucian wife, to be closer to her Mom in New Hampshire. Julie and Rushe have been living in Massachusetts since 2018 and recently became foster parents to a 10-year-old girl, reaching a personal milestone with hopes for adoption.
Julie is survived by her mother, Jeannette Printy; wife, Roushedia (Rushe) Liburd; brothers: James Jr. and John Printy; nieces: Arwen, Emily, Autumn and Trinity; nephew, Joshua; grandnephew, Phoenix; her beloved Crucian pets, Prince and Suki; plus extended family and friends around the world.
Julie’s goal was to inspire everyone around her that giving to those in need is good for the soul. She succeeded in so many ways.
