Mark Ferdschneider died peacefully at Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center on June 23 after a long battle with cancer. He was 59 years old.
A native New Yorker, Mark loved St. Croix and made it his home in the mid-1970s. In 1976, he opened The Jeans Shop on Company Street with his friend Tom Miller. The Jeans Shop was "the place" to get the hippest denim and latest urban fashion of the day. With the success of the store, Mark and Tom expanded the business, renaming it The Caribbean Clothing Company, which enjoyed popularity for over 20 years by staying on the cutting edge of fashion trends in men’s and women’s clothing.
Mark had his finger on the pulse of the urban fashion scene, which he combined with his sophisticated marketing savvy to create cutting edge promotions such as in-store appearances by musicians, fashions shows and popular club events like Club 95, where he teamed up with local DJs, who would also travel to other islands for events created by Mark. Several employees attribute some of their present successes to his mentorship while working at the store.
In the years after the store, Mark developed a keen interest in tropical plants, researching them with the same enthusiasm that he did with fashion, curating a renowned collection, emphasizing his favorite variegated species, bromeliads and other rarities. He shared his endeavors with a large network of Facebook friends, posting photographs of many local and exotic plants.
Mark is survived by his wife of 31 years, Angeli Therese (Thurland) Ferdschneider; daughters: Edith, Leah and Maya; sister, Roberta; brother, Harvey; aunts: Eleanor Smith and Shirley Flashberg; nieces: TIffany Liddie, Juliette Ferdschneider, Cristina Thurland and Akayla Thurland; nephews: Marcus Thurland, Peter Martinez and Kayin Thurland; sisters-in-law: Denise Jefferson, Michelle Thurland-Martinez, Elizabeth and Jamelia Thurland; brothers-in-law: Jose R. Martinez, Jean Andre, Pierre and Michael Thurland; Keith Jefferson and many other relatives too numerous to mention; goddaughter, Tyhae Willocks; and special daughter, Oceana James.
He is also survived by close friends: Paul Collins, Paul Mosher, Thomas Miller, Steven Steele, Erich Walker, Benjamin Gant, Jed John Hope, Randy Mason, Milton Henry, Dr. Wieslaw Dawiskiba and Miguelina Tucker; as well as childhood friends from Hicksville, New York and many friends made over the years on St. Croix.
Mark’s family would like to thank the team at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, the staff of the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital, and his doctors on St. Croix for the compassionate care he received over the years. Thanks go as well to all who shared their condolences at his passing. Mark was memorialized in a ceremony on June 27 and his ashes spread as per his wishes.
Arrangements are entrusted to Divine Funeral Services and Crematory. We own and operate our own crematory. Let us offer you a Dignified Funeral, affordable by all. Tel: 773-0003/fax: 773-3003.
