Karline Jean-Gilles

Marie Rosary Karline Jean Gilles (Karline), age 54, of Jamaica New York, passed away on April 3, 2017,

ending her three year battle with colon cancer. Karline was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti on October 4, 1962.

The youngest of eight children born to George Jean-Gilles and Jeanne Claire Francois.

Karline came to Brooklyn NY at the age of five. She graduated from Tilden High School in Brooklyn, NY.

Karline was married at the age of eighteen and then gave birth to Kathleen Paul

and three years later welcomed her son Kevin Michael Paul. Karline loved children and knew

her family was not complete and would often say “I just need one more,”

and at the age of thirty-five gave birth Devante Isaiah Holmes.

Karline worked as a nursing assistant 2, she loved her job and treated her patients like her family.

Karline was a natural care giver and put her heart in all that she did. Her hard work earned her

the Award for Excellence in 2004 from Northshore Long Island Jewish Hospital Healthcare System.

Karline concluded her long and faithful career at St. Roosevelt Hospital, Upper Westside, NY, in 2013.

She is known by all who worked with her for her warm smile, friendly-easy conversation;

everyone instantly felt like she was their best friend. Karline enjoyed planning family gatherings.

Her home was the place for holidays, birthdays, BBQs or just long weekends. She enjoyed long drives.

She loved the scenery and the conversations and spending time with her family. Some of her drives included road trips from L.A. to N.Y., Atlanta to Connecticut and NY to Florida. Karline was warm, caring, very understanding, a great listener, who gave great advice.

She was very insightful and loved helping people, whether it was someone she knew for 5 minutes or 5 years,

she wanted to help them. Karline was very beautiful, she looked good, but her beauty was not only skin deep;

it was from the inside out. She loved her clothes and made sure she was always well dressed.

Karline was a neat freak, just like her mom and her home was always beautifully decorated,

warm and inviting, a true reflection of her. Karline was also very independent, some would say stubborn, she never wanted any handouts, she wanted to feel like she earned what she had. Karline was a woman of faith. She prayed daily and relied on her relationship

with Christ to help through life’s struggles. Karline is survived by her children, Kathleen (35), Kevin (32)

and Devante (21), her granddaughter Aniyah (6), her sisters Mireille Souffrant, Evelyne Volcy,

Jeanine Florestant and Maryse Trenard, her brother George Jean-Gilles and many nieces and nephews, who all refer to her as their favorite aunt, and cousins and friends that are too many to count. Karline is preceded in death by her father George Jean-Gilles,

her mother Jeanne Claire Francois Jean-Gilles, whom Karline cared for in her home during her last days,

and her brothers Gerard Jean-Gilles and Nody Jean Gilles. Karline is now in the loving arms of her Savior,

where she will find rest and peace and live in eternal joy.