Jacques Bayardelle

Jacques Bayardelle, 84, Haitian-born engineer, action movie aficionado, self-proclaimed wine critic, and beloved patriarch, passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 20th, 2025.

Born in Haiti, Jacques immigrated to the United States at the age of 18 with nothing but a suitcase full of ambition and an accent and disposition that could charm the toughest New York City cab driver. He pursued engineering at NYU having to pay his own way after passing up on Columbia since they didn’t allow him to hold a full-time job and go to school. As difficult as he remembered it to be at times, he believed education was the key to opportunity.

Jacques approached life like one of his favorite action movies: with boldness, a sharp wit, and just the right amount of swagger. He never met a James Bond film he didn’t like, a glass of rum he didn’t enjoy, or a meal he didn’t think was “Great!”.

But beneath his gleeful smile was a man whose love for his family ran deeper than his appreciation for a well-aged Scotch. He adored his wife Carole of 58 years with the kind of steady, devoted love that makes the rest of us believe in soulmates. Together they raised three remarkable children — Caroline, Steven, and Jamie — who inherited his warmth, optimism, and fierce loyalty.

Jacques was also the proud grandfather of ten grandchildren and a great granddaughter, each of whom knew him as the loving “Papa Jacques” who never refused a game of Chinese Checkers or a life lesson disguised as a joke.

He built a life full of purpose, passion, and people. He saw the positive in everything and everyone; and we loved him for it.

Jacques Bayardelle didn’t just engineer things — he engineered a life well-lived. He leaves behind a family held together by laughter, love, and the sacred love for Carole’s rice and beans.

Rest easy, Papa Jacques. You were the action hero of our hearts — and somehow managed to make even that final exit go as planned.