OBITUARY

• Carmen Martinez (née Labadie) par Editor

Carmen was deceased July 28, 2020 at the Townhouse Nursing Home on Long Island, NY. The family is thankful that she passed peacefully and with no pain. This gave the family some consolation because, due to the COVID crisis, no one was able to visit her in her last days.

Carmen was born on Jan. 9, 1930 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She was the oldest of seven children of Elina Lamothe Labadie (predeceased).

Carmen came to New York in 1963 during a time of political turmoil in Haiti. She had a very close friend, Giselle Duviela who got her interested to come to New York, which she did, and welcomed her here.

Carmen was always industrious and energetic. Immediately, she began working. In 1965, she married Gerard Martinez, who eventually pre-deceased her. Having had no natural children, Carmen doted all her love and energy on her family members as the family left Haiti, settled in New York, and was augmented by the marriages and children who followed in natural progression.

Carmen last worked as a childcare giver at a children’s center in Manhattan for the NYC Administration for Children’s Services, from which she retired. She had previously worked in the capacity of a health care aide at Long Island Jewish Hospital and some nursing homes on Long Island.

Carmen resided in Jamaica, Queens for many years and then moved to Elmont, Long Island.

In the words of her dearest sister in law, Mrs. Daisy Gonzalez Labadie, “Carmen shared her love through her delicious cooking and hospitality, and her lively and youthful personality. Her heartfelt laughter will be engraved in my heart forever.”

Her body is being transported to Florida where most of the family now resides. The arrangements are still being finalized. A wake and mass service will be held there. However, due to the COVID situation, attendance at the funeral will be limited. The family asks that any donations that anyone wishes to make in her memory be given to any charitable organization that helps her beloved, and never forgotten, country of Haiti and its people.

Condolences to the families affected by her immeasurable loss include the following: Siblings:

Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Georgie Labadie of Florida and son Antonio Labadie, and step children Conchita, and Lee. Mr. Jean Labadie, and children: Jean (Johnny) and Vanessa Labadie; Ms. Renee Gui and Labadie, and Tessa Kiwanuka. Mrs. Marie Claire Labadie (pre-deceased) first marriage: Jacques Sénéchal; second marriage: Duke Celestin (deceased), Child: Jean Jacques (Jacky) Sénéchal and family, Mr. and Mrs. Lionel and Daisy Labadie, Mr. and Mrs. Leslie (predeceased) and Amy Labadie and children: Nicholas and Natasha Labadie, Mr. and Mrs. Yvan and Gail Lamothe and children: Sara, Rachel, Maria, and Carmen and families,

The Doublette family – Marie Carmel (deceased) who lived with the Labadie family for many years in NY and her brother, Tony Lamothe, living in Belgium.

Other family members include The Armand, Blanchard, Gay, Labadie, and Lamothe families

Cet article est publié par l’hebdomadaire Haïti-Observateur-New York, édition du 5 août 2020, VOL. L No. 30 et se trouve en P.2 : http://haiti-observateur.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/h-o-5-aout-2020-1.pdf