Conrad Anthony (“Gus”) Gaskin of Oak Bluffs and St. Croix, U.S.V.I., died on March 25, 2017.
The son of Lionel Charles Gaskin Sr. of Guyana and Lillian Wilkins Gaskin of New York, Gus was born in New York City on June 3, 1934. The family moved from Harlem to the Bronx, where Gus met the love of his life, Frances Christian Gaskin, while both attended the St. Augustine Roman Catholic Elementary School. He went on to Bishop du Bois High School, and upon graduation enlisted in the U.S. Air Force for four years. Twenty months were served in Anchorage, Alaska, at Elmendorf Air Force Base during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged on Sept. 11,1956.
Returning from the shores of the Pacific to the Atlantic, Gus and Fran married at St. Augustine’s on Sept. 14,1957, and were blessed with three healthy, beautiful children, the loves of their lives. He moved the family from the Bronx to Lindsay Park Housing in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, where they resided for the next 25 years, overlooking the skyline of New York City and downtown Brooklyn. Gus found a spiritual home at Our Lady of Charity Roman Catholic Church, pastored by the Rev. James E. Goode.
Gus was not only a consummate mathematician but also an athlete. To support his family, Gus initially studied engineering at New York City Community College, The City University of New York (CCNY), but found few employment opportunities available to men of color. Under the G.l. Bill, he pursued the special baccalaureate program at Brooklyn College (CCNY) in liberal arts, and Antioch University for a master of arts degree in early childhood education. With these credentials, he was a computer programmer at Ticketron, and also accepted directorships at Quick Start Head Start, Shirley Chisholm, and Acquadilla day care centers, in tandem.
While at Lindsay Park, Gus organized the swimming pool and social committees; he coached the boys basketball teams at Most Holy Trinity Elementary School, and also assisted with the St. John’s Finmen, the boys and girls swimming teams, leading these latter two groups to victory at various meets. Because he treasured something in everyone and everyone meant something to him, Gus helped to shape school-age boys and girls into responsible men and women through sports and mentoring. Further, he was forever a loyal and faithful fan of the New York Giants and the New York Knicks. And oh! how he loved to tell a story.
Gus and family traveled to Martha’s Vineyard, the town of Oak Bluffs. There he found a Roman Catholic Church home at the Good Shepherd Parish of Martha’s Vineyard, pastored by the Rev.Michael R. Nagle. He enjoyed the congeniality and conviviality of extended family and friends, going to the beach, scintillating conversations in the “Circle,” a group of beach lovers who sat in a circle, running the Chilmark Road Races, swimming with the energetic MV Polar Bears at 7:30 every morning from Memorial Day to Labor Day, before and after these holidays, participating in fundraising activities with MV Cottagers, Inc., conversing at his Inkwell family bench, and feasting on Monday-morning breakfasts at Inkwell Beach. Though it all, Gus advised youth, listened to their dreams and aspirations regarding their future educational careers, and counseled adults about retirement planning.
Gus sought a career change, and he and Fran relocated to Albany, N.Y., where he accepted the position of information officer at the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. Again, he found a church home at the Black Catholic Apostolate of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, pastored by the Rev. Kofi Ntisful-Amissah and exhilarated by the magnificent Hallelujah Choir. He was an active member of the Men’s Club, and contributed greatly to the Usher Board.
He traveled extensively throughout New York, providing information to educators relative to their benefits for 19 years before his own retirement. Still heard around the System when problems arise is, WWGD, or What Would Gus Do? Although Gus delighted working with adults, he did miss teaching the youngsters.
Although a diehard New Yorker, Albany presented Gus and Fran with novel and exciting challenges: forming new and lasting relationships, joining different clubs, being exposed to upstate activities, and learning other cultural norms. Although legally blind, Gus never lost his insightfulness. The Albany healthcare system via the V.A. and private medical practices were unparalleled. He could make two or three medical appointments in a morning.
Gus and Fran embarked on another watery journey, to the beaches of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the homeland of Fran’s late parents, Clement J. Christian and Therese Farrelly Christian. There, they would savor the warmth of family and friends during winter months for 18 years. He engaged in many activities, including finding the Catholic Church homes at Holy Cross and Saints Joachim and Ann at Barron Spot, shepherded by Bishop Herbert A. Bevard, swimming with the Lit’ Bay Posse at Little Bay and the pool, studying at the University of the Virgin Islands — steel pan, exercise classes, early childhood education courses, presenting medals and ribbons at the Special Olympics, attending meetings on cancer and the aging population, attending lectures and the theater, visiting schools to speak to students … and watching the sun shine its brilliance over the hills, spreading from east to west over the flowers and fauna.
Gus is survived by his wife of 59 years, Dr. Frances Christian Gaskin; their children Trace L. Gaskin of Virginia Beach, Va., and Troy A. Gaskin I (Angela McLeod); grandchildren Conrad III, Briana, Kayla, Troy II and Soleil; his siblings Ida “Mitzi” Gaskin-Cleare, Bernice “Honey” Gaskin-Shepard, Stewart Gaskin, and Oscar Gaskin; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Christine A. Christian Gilmore, Frederick Shepard, Barbara “Millie” Gaskin, Anna Reyes-Gaskin, Major and Eileen Christian Thomas, Jesse and Claire Christian Harris, Clement J. Christian and Marlienne Christian; as well as by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, coworkers, and neighbors in New York City, Martha’s Vineyard, Albany, St. Croix, and beyond. He was predeceased by their son, Conrad A. Gaskin II, and brother, Lionel “Deets” Gaskin.
A military ceremony will be held on Monday, July 3, 2017, at 10 am at Inkwell Beach, opposite Waban Park, Oak Bluffs. All are invited to come and bring a covered dish to share. A Eucharistic Celebration will be held on July 2 at 4 pm at St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church in Vineyard Haven. In a private ceremony, the family will spread the cremains in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. In case of rain or inclement weather, proceedings will be held at the Good Shepherd Parish Center, 55 School St., opposite the Oak Bluffs library.
In memory of Gus, pray for one another, tell a story, and make someone laugh.
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