Ida Jean

Ida Jean passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on Friday, September 17, 2021. Ida was born on September 27, 1930, in Thomassique, Haiti to her mother, Iplena Al’Cante, and her father, St-Firmin Jean. She attended boarding school in Cap Haitien, Haiti until the age of 14, she then moved to Thomassique to live with her mother after her father passed away. She later moves to Port-au-Prince to raise her family. In 1981, she moved to Brooklyn, NY, where she wanted nothing more than to provide a better life for her children. During her time in Brooklyn, Ida has earned the title of “everyone’s Meme,” cooking food for neighbors, family, and friends. She also dedicated her life to God, her church community, and her family. She regularly volunteered with her community centers in both Brooklyn, NY, and Tampa, FL, where she taught members of the center how to sew, bead, and other crafts. 

Ida was known in her building, family, and community as a person who not only feeds your stomach but also feeds your soul with the word of God. She was a person who loved with no judgment, who shared until the end that she “has no room in her heart for hate”. Her passing has left a hole in the family that can never be refilled. 

Ida is survived by her children, Gabrielle Jeanty, and her three children; Phillip Jean and his wife, Caridad, and two children; Nadine Benjamin and her four children; and Anthony Benjamin and his wife Trimeka with their two children. She was preceded in death by two of her children Yannick Pierre (63 years old), survived by her three children, and Herby Jean (30 years old), survived by his two children.

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life service for Ida on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. at the Frantz Daniel Jean Funeral Home, located at 5020 Foster Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11203. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a love offering or donation be made in Ida’s name to New Covenant Worship Center in Brooklyn, NY, or a donation to Project Medishare, an organization committed to providing Haitians access to quality health care.