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Written Testimony Honoring and Commending Mr. James Sasso Good day to the distinguished members of this body, honored guests, family, and friends. Today is a moment of profound pride for me and my family, as we gather to recognize and celebrate the legacy of a truly exceptional man—my father, James Sasso. To the community, he is known as “Sasso”—a name that has become synonymous with dignity, compassion, and service in the Virgin Islands. But to me, he is Dad. The man whose quiet strength, work ethic, and boundless love shaped not only our family, but the many lives he has touched through his life’s work. My father’s journey began on the small island of Anguilla, the youngest of seven children born to Claris and Edmund Sasso. From early on, he understood the value of hard work and humility, helping at his father’s gas station and the family’s convenience store. Those experiences rooted him in service—long before he ever donned a suit as a funeral director. While his career as an electrician spanned nearly four decades, it was later in life that my father found his true calling in the funeral and mortuary field. For over 17 years at Turnbull's Funeral Home, he has walked beside grieving families with the utmost care— offering not only his professional skills, but also his presence, his humor, and most of all, his heart. It takes a special person to serve people during their most vulnerable moments. It takes someone with deep empathy, reverence for tradition, and a steady hand. That person is my father. Time and again, I have watched as community members approached him not just with respect—but with deep affection and trust. Because when he shows up, he brings more than a service. He brings comfort. He brings peace. He has been voted the #1 Funeral Director in St. Thomas multiple times by the Daily News readership— and while that recognition is a testament to his professionalism, it barely scratches the surface of who he is. He is a husband of 32 years to my mother, Risa. He is a loving father to me and my siblings, Dynel and Latrell. He is a proud grandfather, a creative soul with a passion for design, and the kind of man whose laughter can fill a room even in the heaviest of moments. My dad taught us—through his actions—that service is not just a job, it’s a responsibility. It’s something you give from your heart, with no expectation of praise. And today, to see him honored with this Resolution, to know that his decades of compassion, commitment, and quiet leadership are being recognized—it means the world to me, and to our entire family. Dad, your legacy is not just in the number of years you’ve worked, or the services you’ve performed. Your legacy lives in the families you’ve comforted, the traditions you’ve upheld, and the love you’ve poured into this community. Your parents, Grandma Claris and Grandpa Edmund, are surely smiling down today with pride. And as your daughter, I hope you know how much I admire you—not only for what you’ve done, but for who you are. On behalf of our family, thank you to the Virgin Islands for seeing in my father what we’ve known all along—that he is a man worth honoring. Congratulations, Dad. You are our hero. With all my love and gratitude, Tyshel Sasso- Carr