Fernand Leon Cayard was born August 10, 1926 in Anse-Rouge, Gonaives, Haiti to Leon Cayard and Lerosia Emmanuel. He studied law at L’Ecole de Droit de Port-au-Prince. Fernand went to Port-de-Paix to become a professor in Math, Physics, and Chemistry for thirteen years and then went back to Port-au-Prince to become the Director of Personelle at L’Institut Haitien de Statistics in 1960.
In 1961, he left Port-au-Prince and went to study in Santiago, Chile on a scholarship. In 1963, he went to Chad, Africa and spent six years there with his family. In 1969 they moved to Montreal, Canada where he taught math until 1975, when they moved to Miami and settled on 62 NW 78 St. They helped many Haitians who came on the boats during the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Fernand Cayard conducted research and later purchased a dry cleaner in Opa-locka in 1976 and owned it for about six months. In 1977, the Cayards opened Cayard’s Market on the corner of 62nd St. and North Miami Ave. In 1982, they built Cayard’s Market number #2 at NW 2nd Ave 57th St. and owned it for three or four years. They managed Cayard’s Market until 2002. Fernand opened the Cayard Bakery in November of 2005 at 12801 West Dixie Hwy. Fernand was a loving husband, father and grandfather. Many in the community loved him. Fernand loved his classical music and great company with family and friends. On Sunday October 7, 2018, God called this legend home. He is gone in flesh, but not in spirit, he will always be in our hearts and May his legacy lives on through all those who mourn.
