Micheline Christiane Samuel

It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that I share that my mother Micheline Christiane Fontaine Samuel succumbed to multiple myeloma and passed, Monday, February 27, 2023. She was 74 years old. It was a 15-month journey overcoming three intense surgeries, weekly chemotherapy, physical therapy and endless inner and physical strength.

It can easily be said that she lived three lifetimes in the one she was given. Mom's inner light shined bright and she touched many people on multiple continents.

Her life's path was not an obvious one, but always guided by her big dreams, large ambition and executed with grace, intelligence and elegance. She came to America in 1968 with her sister Monique to be with their mother (my grandmother) Andreé Camille Fontaine who forged a life for her girls that would give them the freedom to live expansive lives far beyond the boundaries of their island home of Haiti, for which mom has always been fiercely proud.

Mich, as she is affectionately known, spoke little English when she arrived, went to school at the American Banking Institute, mastered a new language, graduated summa cum laude from Adelphi University, and conquered Wall Street. She retired from JP Morgan Chase after 35 years, as a Vice President, accomplishing projects within the Data Center at headquarters, like the first installations of ATM machines in the 1980's and the creation of the website Chase.com that would allow online banking to be possible, oeuvres that brought her great satisfaction.

All the while, she indulged in her love for dance in Latin ballroom and never lost her passion --which started long before I was born and continued into 2020 when she competed with Arthur Murray Dance School of Vienna, Virginia.

Her next career adventure in the early 2000's would allow her to rely on her passion for her native language, using her multilingual skills in French literature, her sharply honed talents as a corporate negotiator and manager to help oversee the infrastructure projects for a France-based company that built large scale projects in America, which allowed her to criss-cross the country and over the Atlantic Ocean.

But, never one to be idle, her third and equally rewarding retirement career was as a language teacher in her adopted home of Guadeloupe, in the French West Indies, in 2011, where she spent nearly a decade. Her greatest achievement was teaching English to the children whom she loved and the many people who would become near and dear friends and surrogate family.

And, the last four years she gave me –her only child— the greatest gift of moving to Washington D.C. where I watched her live out her goal of working on a political campaign, going to protests to advocate for the rights and human freedoms she's always championed; and making esteemed new friends of people she admired –an experience that made her deeply proud to be an American, with a global reach.

I want to thank all who touched her life. She cherished every interaction, conversation, bit of advice she could offer, cookies baked, red carpet event or dinner and cocktails she shared.

Now, Mich is on to her next adventure in service of her Maker and Lord that guided every step of her life. And she watches over us all, shining her light on us still.

She is survived by her daughter, Stacey Samuel. Her ex-husband and lifelong friend Michael J. Samuel, the children of her sister Monique: Sharlaina, Rayshaad and Yasminne, and the five grandnieces and nephews whom she considered her grandchildren.

Link for live streaming https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/529710778

Testimonial from her best friend: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.canva.com/design/DAFb_jfjsts/FEjLp9htVHTgURYkVH2RPg/view?utm_source=Links&utm_medium=Share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT07MK0vUy03VLzAyzy72SysOq0gCAGI2cr4cAAAA&_branch_match_id=978322026012793748__;!!M2D_dUfSiN4E!L5Y7Y0nvO_OvrrA2PISKf5SiWrYlSfiB-tXS0HZl3NvgHl0iyczBnjBPiFX9QdRzYYaYwChlpH70A74Z76c$