Sunrise: 8/8/1928 – Sunset: 11/23/2020
Rosana Benoit of Riverside, CA, passed away at her residence on November 23, 2020 at the age of 92. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend, and a highly committed Seventh-Day Adventist Christian. Her life story is totally dominated by her relationship with God and the mission she believed she was entrusted with, which was to tell people that Christ was coming soon and to put their lives in order.
Daughter of the late Solon Astre and Charisena Badio, Rosana was born in Jacmel, Haiti on August 8, 1928. She spent most of her childhood in the northern area of the country with her godmother, and then moved to Port-au-Prince in her teenage years to live with her older sister, Menelise Astre Laurent. Several years later, while in Port-au-Prince, she was proud to have spent some time working at the National Palace as part of the culinary crew during the administration of President Paul Eugene Magloire. She married Jerome Saintelhomme Celestin in 1957 and together they raised four children: Sonia, Sedrick, Patrick, and Maxime (Calixte). Following her marriage, she managed her sister’s fabric and clothing store in Port-au-Prince for many years. After Jerome died at the young age of 52, followed by her mother’s passing a few months later, Rosana emigrated to the United States on November 23, 1983 (exactly 37 years to the day of her death), to join her son, Sedrick, along with his former wife Barbara Celestin, and daughter Regina Celestin in Northern California. She married Joseph Emmanuel Benoit about one year later in 1984. Rosana and Joseph enjoyed a very happy marriage for the next 29 years until Joseph passed away 7 years ago. Together, they left loving memories in all the places they resided, including San Rafael, Petaluma, and Riverside, CA.
Rosana was always an independent woman, and she worked at every opportunity she had. While in Northern California, she provided her services to a large assisted-living facility from 1985 until she retired and moved to Southern California, again following her son Sedrick, in 1996. She spent the remaining 24 years of her life in the City of Riverside, with the latest 10 years in her daughter Sonia’s care.
Rosana also found much joy being available for her family and her grandchildren, babysitting and spoiling them, but also requiring attendance during her multiple, daily, prayer sessions. While in retirement, Rosana and Joseph were always active, and she maintained a garden with several kinds of fruits and vegetables.
Her life was totally devoted to the cause of Christ. She was a consummate prayer warrior. Whether in Haiti or in the United States, her home was always a place for prayer and for advancing the cause of the gospel. At her home, people were always welcome to the table whether after sabbath services or during the week. Rosana served the church in several capacities, including participation in missionary activities, the Dorcas ministry, and spending many years as a deaconess at the Horeb Church in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian Horeb SDA Church in Novato, California, and the Kansas Avenue SDA Church in Riverside, California. The Novato Horeb SDA Church has its roots in sabbath afternoon Bible studies and prayers at her home in San Rafael, California in the mid-1980s.
Throughout her illness, she maintained her dignity as a child of the King. Even after the disease had progressed significantly and affected her mind to a great extent, she always pointed to God as the Master of her life.
Rosana died peacefully early Monday evening, the 23rd of November. She is preceded in death by her husband Joseph in 2013, her sisters Menelise Laurent and Esther Bellevue Luma, her oldest and only brother Sonore Astre, her long-time friend and Best Man Gerard Luma, and her son Patrick just a few months ago. She is survived by daughter Sonia Blanc (husband Anthony), son Sedrick Celestin (wife Maria Eugenia), son Maxime Celestin (aka, Calixte), daughter-in-law Marie, stepdaughter Jolette Benoit, and stepson William Benoit, granddaughters Regina Celestin Williams, Annlouise Blanc Williams, Patricia Celestin Valencia, Sheney Celestin, Ashley Blanc, and Makaylah Celestin, grandsons Pierre Celestin, Sedrick Celestin, Maxenrick Celestin, Derrick Celestin, and Giovani Celestin, great-grandchildren Pierre Jayden (PJ) Celestin, Daniah Desirae Palmer, and Noelle and Corinne Williams. Also left to mourn her are her sisters Juliana Hyppolite and Rita Eliassaint. She’s also left behind numerous nieces and nephews along with their spouses, kids, and grandkids. The list includes Robert Laurent, Dr. Marie Roberte Laurent Volcy, Nicole Hyppolite Pierre-Louis, Yvrose Celestin Lamothe, Mirlande Laurent Martin, Yves Marcel Laurent, Pierre Andre Hyppolite, Jean Christian Bellevue, Luc Astre, Solina Astre, Jacques Faubert Laurent, Annette Bellevue, Martha Hyppolite, Emmanuel Hyppolite, Linda Hyppolite, Clairmita Eliassaint, Marjorie Julisse Eliassaint, Nadine Eliassaint, Mine Eliassaint, Marie Carole Eliassaint, and Chantale Jean-Baptiste.
Rosana is no longer alive today, but her memory, spirit, legacy, and imprint on the family will always remain. She was certain of her salvation and of her place among the saved. Her greatest joy was to see people surrender their lives to the Lord. May she rest in peace while waiting for our Savior, Jesus-Christ!
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