Remembering V.I. Educator Vincent Henley
His face – and educational legacy – are well known within the community. Gardening at Gladys Abraham, chess club, and swimming classes at John Brewer’s Bay on Saturdays – for students across St. Thomas, Vincent Henley was an inspiration, and the news of his death Sunday struck a solemn chord for many.
2022-10-17 13:00:28 - VI News Staff
“He was an incredible educator – he genuinely loved our children,” said Addelita Cancryn Intermediate and Junior High School Principal Lisa Hassell-Forde Sunday night.
For more than a decade, the two worked together to make programs at Gladys Abraham Elementary and then Cancryn come alive, from hands-on health classes to an award-winning community garden and later the weekend swimming, that not only gave “students something to do,” as Henley often said, but offered them chances to be active within the community.
“He truly made my vision come alive,” Hassell-Forde said. “Every step of the way he was with me. Every grant I wrote, every program we started, he was committed 100 percent.”
According to the V.I. Police Department, Henley was traveling on his motorcycle in the area of Estate Canaan when, according to preliminary reports, he lost control. The accident was phoned into 911 at approximately 4:10 p.m. VIPD said investigators will continue to review any available security camera footage from homes in the area to confirm the circumstances for a final report.
The Source first interviewed Henley in 2009, when Gladys Abraham’s garden was flourishing after getting off the ground the year before. Interested in teaching students about agriculture and sustainability, Henley had reached out to local businesses, the University of the Virgin Islands and the Department of Agriculture to donate everything from soil to fencing. With his nurturing hand and patience, the school was able to enter the Carnival Food Fair competition, winning first place in the plant division that year and every year afterward up to 2018.