On behalf of the Sint Maarten Library Board and staff, we express our sincere condolences to the Elstak-Simmons family and their friends on the passing of Mrs. Stella Elstak-Simmons and her husband, Mr. Frank Elstak.
Both were very active members in our community, and we wish their family strength during this difficult time.
We come together to remember and honor the life of a remarkable individual who played an invaluable role in shaping the path of our beloved library. Mrs. Stella Elstak-Simmons made significant contributions to the Sint Maarten Library, education, and culture. The Foundation will always fondly remember Mrs. Stella Elstak-Simmons for her contributions to the library through her participation in many activities, such as the library’s Story Time and Summer Reading Program. Stella was dedicated to enhancing children reading skills and always volunteered her time. Being a children and young adult novelist, she generously contributed several of her works to the library, for which we are thankful.
In 2013, during the Philipsburg Jubilee Library Foundation 90th Anniversary calendar event titled “Appreciation Awarded Ceremony: A Literacy; Cultural Evening,” Stella Elstak-Simmons received the 2013 Literacy Award for her contribution to the below -mentioned literacy program.
Mrs. Elstak-Simmons was a well-known and respected member of the community and one of the key facilitators to the Philipsburg Jubilee Library Foundation support and cooperation in the collaborative program with the Reach Out and Touch Foundation. She assisted in facilitating the “Reach Out and Read” Saturday morning literacy program at the library, which helped youngsters improve their reading and comprehension skills prior to Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The Sint Maarten Library, join the general community in reflecting upon the void left by the passing of Mrs. Stella Elstak-Simmons and her husband, Mr. Frank Elstak, let us remember the countless lives they both touched, the stories shared, and the knowledge they helped uncover.
