The Office of the Attorney General on St. Thomas will close at 2 p.m. Wednesday to hold a private memorial for staff to celebrate the life of Ernest Bason, the assistant attorney general, who passed away suddenly this week, the V.I. Department of Justice announced this week.
The department issued a statement saying it "offers its condolences and collective expression of sorrow and prayers to the family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances of Assistant Attorney General Ernest Franklin Bason, one of our own,"
Bason passed away at home, sometime before Tuesday morning, when Justice Officials say he did not show up for work.
“Ernie,” as he was affectionately known, started at the Department of Justice in 1997, as an assistant attorney general in the criminal division where he was responsible for the prosecution of criminal cases. He was promoted to the position of criminal chief in 2001, where he served until 2007.
Bason was dedicated to his work and continued to serve the people of the Virgin Islands until the day he died, the statement said.
"His sudden departure has had an impact on all of our lives. His family at the department mourns his passing. He is greatly missed by many," reads the statement from department staff.
