Obituary
Sosthene Alisthene Joseph was an extraordinary man, husband, father, and grandfather. Born on
October 9, 1925, he was the only child son of Alisthene Joseph and Idalia Marc and was raised in Terre
Neuve, Haiti. As child, he was a bright, intelligent young man who loved learning. His passion for
education and language lead to him to teach himself English. As an adult, he displayed his skills by
serving a critical role in the Haitian army as he was responsible for telegraph correspondence by using
the “Morse Code” a method used in telecommunication to encode text characters as standardized
sequences of two different signal durations to and from Haiti, Cuba, and Santo Domingo during the
Cuban revolution. Unfortunately, his bright star also made him a target. At the prime age of 33, he was
arrested and held as a political prisoner for 9 months under the dictatorial regime of François Duvalier.
Upon his liberation, he went on to work for Sedren, a Canadian mining company, exporting aluminum
and copper for 15 years. He immigrated to the US in 1971 where he established a life in New York until
the time of his death.
He was married to Helene Jean Baptiste in the 1950’s and raised five children: Arthur, Blaise, Ariane,
Gardith, and Serge. His children and eight grandchildren were the center of his life. He was always
present in the lives of his children and grandchildren. He could always be counted on to slide a small
token of affection or a few dollar bills into his grandchild’s hand. He never missed a communion or
graduation. He also helped to raise several nieces and nephews as his own. When he moved to the US,
he single handily sponsored 10 family members granting them a new life in the US, all while continuing
to sponsor many other family members still in Haiti.
In the US, Sosthene lived full life surrounded by family and friends. He was a cherished employee of
Emigrant Savings Bank for over 20 years. A devote Catholic, he was also an active parishioner at Holy
Name Church and had a deep understand of the word of God. He loved the vibrancy of the New York
City and visiting sites like the Statue of liberty, Central Park, and Radio City Hall. A frequent jogger, he
could always be found taking an early morning jog on the Upper West Side. As he grew older, he
become a staple in his neighborhood, known for taking his morning walk in his white suit jacket and hat.
He also enjoyed playing dominos, cooking, Chinese food, Chuck Norris movies, dancing, and French
music. Lastly, he remained deeply connected to Haiti, passionate about his love for his birthplace, Terre
Neuve, and dreamed of returning to celebrate their annual Nativity feast.
In 2013, Sosthene suffered a stroke which left him paralyzed. He left his beloved New York City, and
moved to Long Island and was cared for by his children. Sosthene shared many more family moments
through the years including witnessing his oldest granddaughter graduate from medical school and one
of his youngest grandsons get married. He was surrounded and loved by his family until he took his last
breath on September 21, 2020.
Our hearts and souls take comfort in knowing his legacy will continue.
Lovingly submitted,
The Family
Sosthene Joseph Visitation
Oct 2, 2020, 5:00 PM
Sosthene Joseph Funeral Mass
Oct 3, 2020, 10:45 AM
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