Leonard Junior Creque

Leonard was born in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands on April 15, 1938 to Albert Creque and Theodora Peterson (“Miss Dora”). He had three brothers, Albert, Geronimo and Carl all of whom are deceased. He has one sister, Theodora (“Grasse”) Creque Smith who resides in St. Thomas.

He attended Charlotte Amalie High School and took some courses at the University of the Virgin Islands. Lenny worked for Henry Elliot Ltd., which later became West Indies Corporation for 25 years rising to the position of Vice President. Len also credited his success in business to his two mentors, Henry Kimelman and Elliot Fishman, the founders of the company.

In 1984, Leonard left West Indies Corporation to start Creque’s Distributing Company, where he was the President and CEO for 20 years before retiring.

However, this was but a small part of who Leonard was. He was first and foremost a musician with a wonderful talent and passion for all music. He was self taught and was playing a guitar by the age of 13. Leonard was not satisfied with just playing the guitar. His goal was to master it and to read and write music. He tackled this as he did everything that he undertook and that was “to do the best I can”. He enrolled in a home study course through the U.S. School of Music in New York and received a Certificate of Completion. He went on to play the vibraphone and bass as well.

Lenny played professionally in hotels and other venues in the Virgin Islands and across the Caribbean. He formed his own band, “The Trends”, which played at different hotels in the Virgin Islands, the Caribbean and in New York. One of his fondest memories was playing at the legendary Palladium Ballroom in New York and following the famous Tito Puente on stage. For more than two decades he led a “double life” being a business person by day and a musician at night and on weekends.

As one can tell, Lenny was multi-talented. His talents did not stop with business and music. He could also do construction. He built his first house alongside his father at age 20 and built a wing onto a second house decades later. He could fix anything from washing machines to faucets. In 1982, he enrolled in the National Radio Institute and earned certification in Color Television Servicing. He used the knowledge gained from the training to build his own color television set!

He could do anything with his hands, but the biggest part of him was his heart. He loved his islands, his church, and most of all his family: wife, children, grandchildren, sister and brothers, sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws, nieces and nephews, cousins and friends. If he could help you, he would.

Leonard was a devoted husband to his wife of 47 years, Linda Creque and a devoted father to their children, Leah and Michael. He was also a devoted father to his children, Gwen, Dale, Cherise and Leonard, Jr. from his previous marriage to Maude Malone.

Leonard led a full and fruitful life. May he rest peacefully in the arms of God.