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Governor John P. de Jongh, Jr. praised the life of revered Virgin Islands educator and storyteller Delta M. Jackson Dorsch Friday upon learning of her passing at the age of 95.
“The Virgin Islands has lost one of its great educators and a standard bearer of our culture. What Delta represented for this territory can never be replaced, but thankfully she made it her life’s work to pass on her immense knowledge about our culture and inspire several generations of Virgin Islanders,” de Jongh said.
Mrs. Dorsch was the author of “The Role of the Story Teller in Virgin Islands Culture” and contributed to written and oral histories of St. Croix. She served the territory for almost four decades as an elementary teacher and supervisor and for five years as Deputy Commissioner for Curriculum and Instruction
in the Department of Education.
Mrs. Dorsch not only educated children, but also taught courses at the University of the Virgin Islands that prepared new generations of Virgin Islands teachers to rise to the challenges ahead of them. “She studied the art of teaching at two of New York’s best universities, and across Europe, but it was through the art of storytelling that she shared so much, inspiring all who had the honor of hearing her speak,” de Jongh added.
“Delta Dorsch was born just before this territory became part of the United States. She has seen our history unfold, and shaped it by shaping the minds of countless students. The contributions of someone like Delta Jackson Dorsch are immeasurable—they impact us at the core of our identity as a people,” de Jongh said.
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