St. Thomas school honors missing teacher

ST. THOMAS — With a mixture of joy and tears, Hannah Upp’s loved ones gathered Friday to share memories of her time as a teacher at the V.I. Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy, before her disappearance in 2017.

“Hannah was my great friend,” said Head of School Gloria Arpasi. Upp’s 40th birthday is on Nov. 29, and “we wanted to do the proper thing and be here and honor her,” Arpasi said. Upp has been missing for seven years, and was last seen on the morning of Sept. 14, 2017, leaving her home on St. Thomas. The next day, Upp’s car keys, clothing and sandals were found by the beach bar at Sapphire Beach. Her car was located parked at Sapphire with her purse, phone, wallet and ID inside.

Upp’s disappearance came during the chaotic time between Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, and despite extensive search efforts, her whereabouts are still unknown. Twice before, Upp has disappeared suddenly, and she suffers from an extremely rare form of amnesia known as dissociative fugue. Individuals in such a fugue state are able to perform the normal functions of life but are unable to remember any personal details and may be unsure of who they are. Sufferers also frequently travel with no clear destination.