In profound sorrow we the Management & Staff of Turnbull's Funeral Home & Crematory Services announce the passing of Lillia E. King, 77, of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands who passed away Wednesday, December 17, 2025.

Born on June 28, 1948, Lillia was the beloved daughter of the late Governor Cyril E. King and Mrs. Agnes Schuster King. Raised in a family deeply rooted in West Indian public service, medicine, and education, she learned early the enduring values of integrity, discipline, and compassion—principles that guided her personal life and an extraordinary professional career spanning more than four decades.

Lillia devoted over 43 years to the field of technical and health care administration, earning distinction as an expert in histopathology. She began her academic journey with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the College of St. Elizabeth in Convent Station, New Jersey, and later became certified as a paralegal through the Washington Online Learning Center. Her intellectual curiosity, precision, and leadership would become hallmarks of her work.

Her professional legacy is most closely associated with Schneider Regional Medical Center, where she served from 1984 to 2010 as Supervisor and Manager of the Histopathology Department. From 2005 to 2010, she also served as a co-instructor of the Anatomy and Physiology LPN Program. In these roles, Lillia combined administrative excellence with visionary thinking—overseeing daily departmental operations, managing budgets, maintaining patient consultation files, and spearheading the mechanization and computerization of cancer records that became the foundation of the hospital's cancer registry.

A forward thinker, she designed and co-built three computerized histopathology modules that evolved into the system still used at the medical center today. Equally passionate about education and mentorship, she created and organized a summer student program for high school and college students, as well as a two-semester work-study program, working closely with counselors and advisors to support students pursuing careers in health care.

Prior to her tenure at Schneider Regional Medical Center, Lillia served as an instructor of anatomy at the College of the Virgin Islands, a guest lecturer at the Old Municipal Hospital, and a territorial histologist at Knud-Hansen Memorial Hospital, where she also worked as a student clinical laboratory aide.

Beyond her professional achievements, Lillia was deeply committed to service and philanthropy. She supported and worked with numerous organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Catholic Diocese community outreach program, and the Sioux Nations. She served as co-chairman of the Keys & Sword Award Benefit for the Restoration of the Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Cathedral and was a member of the Jewel Rose Council of the Inner Wheel USA Foundation. She was also an active member of the Friends of Denmark Society, the Inner Wheel Club of the Virgin Islands, and the Rotary Club of Charlotte Amalie.

Her contributions did not go unnoticed. Lillia received numerous honors, including the Women's International Leadership Association Award, a Certificate of Merit from the American Association of Bioanalysts, commendations for service and Employee of the Year honors from Schneider Regional Medical Center, and the Tommy Star Award as Public Service Associate of the Year from the St. Thomas–St. John Hotel Association and the District Chamber of Commerce. She was further recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for Excellence in Health Care Administration and featured in Who's Who in Industry Leaders, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in America, and Who's Who in the World.

Lillia is survived by her uncles, Wilmot Edwards and Enrique Edwards; her aunts, Delores Edwards and Jo-Ann Edwards; and numerous cousins in the Edwards, Schuster, and de Chabert families. She will be remembered for her intellect, generosity of spirit, steadfast faith, and lifelong dedication to uplifting her community through service and education.