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A Childhood Connection Forged on the Seas of St. Croix
In 2004, Harry Andrew Hoffman and Anne Katherine Hardee first crossed paths during a summer sailing camp in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Both eight years old, they were learning to navigate the Optimist dinghy, a small, single-handed sailboat often called an “Opti.”
Early Encounters and Shared Interests
Mr. Hoffman, now 28 and a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard stationed in Washington, D.C., fondly described the Opti as “the closest thing to a bathtub with a mast and sails.” His family had relocated to St. Croix from Toms River, N.J., in 2000. Coincidentally, 2000 was also the year Ms. Hardee’s family, residents of Fort Worth, Texas, began spending summers and school holidays on the island.
Ms. Hardee, also 28 and currently an analytics manager for operations at The RealReal, an online luxury fashion reseller, recalled her youthful admiration for Mr. Hoffman’s “beautiful blond ringlets, bigger than Shirley Temple’s.” He, in turn, was fascinated by her distinctive Texas accent.
Their connection deepened in 2011 when Ms. Hardee’s family chose to spend the latter half of each academic year in St. Croix, drawn to the island’s strong sense of community.
Developing a Deeper Bond
Mr. Hoffman recounted Ms. Hardee joining his freshman class at St. Croix Country Day School, now known as Good Hope Country Day School, as “a breath of fresh air.” After classes concluded, their shared passion for sailing continued at practice. He took on the role of skipper, while she served as a crew member, both clad in practical rash guards for sun protection.
“Practices were competitive,” Ms. Hardee stated, highlighting their dedication to the sport. Weekends offered respite and camaraderie. They would socialize with around twenty classmates on Buck Island or Rainbow Beach, often enjoying fresh mangoes as snacks.
From Friendship to Budding Romance
By 2013, during their junior year, Mr. Hoffman began driving Ms. Hardee to and from school daily, as they resided on adjacent hills. In return for the rides, she regularly prepared him goat cheese omelets, typically with turkey bacon.
That April marked a turning point in their relationship. Initially intending to attend the junior prom as friends, their dynamic shifted after a trip to Miami for a sailboat race, or regatta.
While watching the MTV Video Music Awards in their hotel lounge, they shared their first kiss, igniting a romantic connection.
Navigating Distance and Solidifying Commitment
Following Ms. Hardee’s return to Fort Worth for the first semester of her senior year, their bond endured despite the distance. Frequent late-night phone calls, sometimes lasting until 3 a.m., became the norm. Mr. Hoffman even took a week off from school to visit her in Texas. “We were so in love,” Mr. Hoffman reflected, adding that he experienced the “full American experience in the giant Texas high school system,” meeting her friends, attending a class, and enjoying a football game.
During her second semester back in St. Croix, Mr. Hoffman orchestrated a memorable proposal for their senior prom in a unique setting – underwater.
While scuba diving at Cane Bay, he revealed a large canvas spray-painted with the red letters “PROM?”
Enduring Love and a St. Croix Wedding Celebration
A week after graduation, Mr. Hoffman commenced “swab summer,” the rigorous boot camp for incoming Coast Guard cadets. Ms. Hardee wrote him letters daily, and he reciprocated whenever possible. She still keeps these letters as cherished mementos.
“They got me through swab summer,” he acknowledged, emphasizing the importance of her support during that demanding period.
Mr. Hoffman earned a bachelor’s degree in naval architecture and marine engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. Ms. Hardee graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics from George Washington University.
In 2018, Mr. Hoffman was assigned to a Coast Guard cutter, or ship, in Virginia Beach, after graduating from the academy. Simultaneously, Ms. Hardee began her career as an economic consultant at a New York firm. Though often separated by his deployments at sea, sometimes without communication for up to three months, he consistently brought back thoughtful gifts from the Caribbean and Central America. While in port in Virginia, he made frequent weekend trips to visit her in New York.
In March 2020, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted Ms. Hardee to pack her bags for what was intended to be a brief two-week stay with Mr. Hoffman in Norfolk, Va. However, she never left. “It was an impromptu development,” Mr. Hoffman remarked with a laugh, highlighting the unexpected but welcome change of events.
Subsequently, after receiving orders to Base Alameda in California a couple of months later, they relocated to Oakland and then, a year later, to San Francisco. In June 2023, they returned to the East Coast when Mr. Hoffman was assigned to Coast Guard headquarters in Washington.
“We rolled with it,” Mr. Hoffman said, reflecting on their adaptable approach to life’s changes. That December, during a visit to St. Croix, he proposed at their beloved spot on the western point of Buck Island.
On March 15, Eliana L. Schuster-Brown, an officiant ordained through American Marriage Ministries, presided over their wedding ceremony at the Castle St. Croix. The venue, once a hilltop estate built in the 1970s for a contessa, hosted 143 guests.
Following the ceremony, they proceeded through a traditional sword arch formed by Mr. Hoffman’s Coast Guard comrades. The reception featured local culinary delights, including fried breadfruit, mashed cassava, and fresh mahi mahi.
“We had Moko Jumbie men on stilts to introduce friends to St. Croix culture,” Ms. Hardee explained, adding a unique cultural dimension to their celebration.
Mr. Hoffman concluded, “Conditions were optimal. No rain, not a cloud in the sky, and a little breezy. It was a typical hot day in St. Croix, but a special one because I was able to marry Annie.”