Funeral Service for former senator and legendary political figure, Alicia "Chucky" Hansen on Fri. Oct. 20, 2023. She Died on Oct. 2, 2023. Photo Credit: V.I. LEGISLATURE
"She proved that the people were all she needed to emerge victorious against all odds."
With that sentence, Lieutenant Governor Tregenza Roach encapsulated the essence of Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, as he delivered the eulogy during Friday's memorial service for the late senator. The Lt. Gov recounted how, pregnant with her last child, the then-future legislator gambled on whether she would run for office. "She asked God if she should run for the Senate, and if so, he should give her a sign," said Mr. Roach. "If the baby was a girl, she would not run. But if she had a boy, she would go for it." He continued the tale by reminiscing about how months later, she "placed her name on the ballot and hit the pavement, baby [Erickson] in hand, and daddy and the children by her side."
That indomitable spirit and determined attitude led "Chucky", as she was widely known, to "touch the hearts and lives of thousands of people," Mr. Roach continued, as well as to "garner respect from political leaders across the nation and the Caribbean."
A heart attuned to public service led her to a speaking slot at the Million Woman's March in Washington D.C., as well as to distribute food to those in distress after the passage of a devastating hurricane. The Lt. Gov described Alicia Hansen as a people's person, charmingly accepting the accolades of an adoring public and graciously welcoming a young Tregenza Roach following his first election to a Senate seat.
"It is a challenge to speak of her life – so full and well lived – in the time allotted, because she was a giant in so many ways," Mr. Roach said, as he spoke of the former senator's strength and grace amidst the public grief over the loss of her son. "We could learn from her that you can never love too much," he remarked.
Elizabeth Hansen Watley, daughter of Alicia Hansen, and Edsel Hansen, surviving husband of the late former lawmaker and stalwart political figure. (Credit: V.I. Legislature)
As a legislator, Mr. Roach characterized his one-time colleague as "honest to a fault, and fearless. Chucky was meticulous in her work." She was a skillful chair of the Senate Finance Committee, "making [the numbers] work, making sense out of nonsense," the Lt. Gov. joked. "We owe her a debt of gratitude for this body of her life's work," he said, referencing legislation by which she shaped tourism, economic development, social policy, economic reform, and government transparency in the territory, among several other focal areas.
"A bilingual girl born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with BVI and USVI blood and Cruzan strength," according to Mr. Roach, Senator Hansen was not just a legislative titan, but a hugely successful entertainment promoter. The lieutenant governor listed some of the acts that graced stages in the Virgin Islands because of the hard work of Ms. Hansen – Destra Garcia, Third World, and Maxi Priest among them.
Her being sought out by other high-ranking politicians as an official and unofficial advisor was a testament to her political acumen and consummate professionalism, Mr. Roach said. "The name Alicia "Chucky" Hansen will forever reign over Virgin Islands politics as she set the standard to follow with her political jingles, life changing legislation, and foresight in improving life for Virgin Islanders," he declared. "Thank you, and may you rest in peace."
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