Gary F. Cramer, 67, of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Gary F. Cramer, 67, of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, formerly of Shandaken, N.Y., passed away on July 10, 2018.

He was born on Jan. 15, 1951, in Oceanside, N.Y., son of the late Frank Cramer and Ethel Seabury Lathrop.

He divided his childhood between Roosevelt, N.Y., and the family cabin on Golf Course Road in Shandaken. Gary received the degrees of Bachelor of Music from Houghton College in 1973 and Master of Music from Florida State University in 1979.

A music lover from the cradle, he dedicated his life and career to music performance and education. He was a founding member of the Shandaken Theatrical Society, where he directed numerous musicals. He began his teaching career at Hunter-Tannersville High School in 1973, where he taught for nine years. In 1982, he accepted a position at the American School of The Hague in the Netherlands, where he remained until retirement in 2015. He taught there in many roles, including band and choir director, and later founded a ground-breaking music technology program. He wrote and co-wrote several original musicals, and directed numerous student musical theater productions. He was most wellknown for composing the ASH school song, “Tell Me, Tell Me.” After retiring, Gary moved to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A devoted Christian, he brought his talent wherever he happened to worship, playing the organ at the Phoenicia and Shandaken United Methodist Churches, and in retirement at the Nazareth Lutheran Church in Cruz Bay on St. John.

Gary was a world traveler. Over his life, he visited Norway, Denmark, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Israel, Singapore, and Australia. He lived for decades in the Netherlands, and spent his last years in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but when asked where home was, he would always answer “the Catskills.”

Gary is survived by his son, Caleb, of Alexandria, Va.; daughter, Jessie of Charleston, S.C.; brother, Frank of Seldon, N.Y.; several cousins; and his beloved miniature schnauzer, Billie.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, at E.B. Gormley Funeral Home in Phoenicia. Burial will be held privately .

The family suggests donations be made to Nazareth Lutheran Church of St. John in Gary’s name: Nazareth Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 1359, Cruz Bay, St. John 00830, USVI.