Andre Poitevien

Andre Poitevien passed away on November 16, 2022 at the age of 79 in New York, NY after a year-long battle with medical complications following a stroke. As with all things, Andre faced this last year with quiet courage, always working hard to exceed the expectations of others. Andre was born in Port-de-Paix, Haiti on January 16, 1943, the last of 5 children, to Frank and Altagrace Poitevien. He grew up a scholar athlete, playing soccer, volleyball and swimming while excelling in Mathematics. He was often seen dominating on the soccer field and using his swimming skills to show off to girls. In 1962, he left Haiti to study engineering in Aachen, Germany, where he mastered another language, pursued his passion for numbers and learned he had a knack for teaching.

Andre then moved to the United States where he met the love of his life, Micheline Lamarque, a young woman born in Jacmel, Haiti who had only recently moved to the US herself. The two lovebirds met at a party where Micheline proclaimed to her girlfriends that she would one day marry Andre. The day after the party, Andre called Micheline’s house in search of his soul mate, but he could not remember her name. When Jeanette Lamarque, Micheline’s Mother answered the phone, Andre asked for her daughter, only to be told that she had four daughters living in her home, so he would have to be more specific. Trying to think fast, he told Jeanette he was looking for her prettiest daughter, to which Jeanette replied, “They are all pretty.” Panicked, Andre quickly replied “And the nicest one - the prettiest and the nicest daughter,” at which point Jeanette called Micheline to the phone. They were married shortly thereafter in the summer of 1973. They settled in Brooklyn, NY where they raised their three children, Patricia, Jean-Bernard and Melissa.

Andre loved being a Father. His patience, kindness and easy laughter were a winning combination not only for his three adoring children, but for his numerous nieces and nephews. He was the Father and Uncle who threw you up in the air, jumped on the bed with you, flung you into the pool, watched cartoons with you, took you to McDonald’s, told you silly jokes and made fun of your music while striking terrible dance moves. Andre was a devoted friend and family man, prioritizing time with his wife, children, nieces, nephews, siblings, in-laws and close friends above all else. He was a lover of jazz, photography, soccer, tennis, American football, action movies, scotch and soda, all things sweet and Micheline’s cooking. After working for nearly four decades in the US, and becoming a Grandfather, Andre retired and joined Micheline in building their dream home in Jacmel, Haiti. There, the couple spent years entertaining friends and family, cultivating the land around them, collecting Haitian art, and contributing to their community. Andre also made sure to enjoy all of Micheline’s delicious food, in particular her famous homemade ice cream. After losing his beloved wife to ovarian cancer in 2018, Andre fought hard to maintain their home and the spirit of Micheline in everything he did. Although he struggled with Parkinson’s Disease, spinal stenosis and bilateral knee replacements, he swam regularly, and participated in rigorous physical therapy keeping everyone in the US aware of his physical accomplishments via video clips on What’s App. He tended to Micheline’s gardens and continued to entertain friends whenever possible, throughout the pandemic. His warmth, kindness, humor and love of life touched everyone who was blessed to be in his presence. He will be missed by many. Andre is survived by his three children, Patricia Poitevien-LeBlanc, Jean-Bernard Poitevien-Jones and Melissa Poitevien and his two grandchildren Noah and Julien LeBlanc. Memorial services will be held at Our Lady of Refuge Church on 2020 Foster Avenue in Brooklyn, NY on December 3rd, 2022 at 10:30 AM.

In honor of Andre Poitevien, please consider contributing to FONDOP (Fondation Opportunite) a charity in Lieu of Flowers. To donate you can use the GoFundMe link provided below at https://gofund.me/548b55e6. To learn more about the charity FONDOP please visit the website https://fondop.org/.

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