Marie Benedict

Marguerite Marie Toulme Benedict entered into eternity on Monday June 8, 2020 at the age of 101. ManYo, as she was known to family and friends, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on November 15, 1918 to Auguste Sr. and Amelie (Pilet) Toulme. She was educated at the Institute for Girls of Madame Paret in Port-au-Prince and with private tutoring, became an accomplished Dressmaker and exceptional Homemaker. Her career spanned decades, until her retirement in 2011. On July 6, 1950, she married her sweetheart of 12 years, Charles Solanges Benedict, a Dentist. They raised three daughters, Marie-Solange, twins Florence, and Maryse.

The family settled in Les Cayes, in the South of Haiti where ManYo quickly became known as an industrious and generous neighbor. She had a passion to serve her husband, family, friends and anyone who needed help. This, coupled with her love of sewing and embroidering led to the creation of extraordinary art. She never received, or expected payment for her talent.

Life changed abruptly, however, in 1962 when ManYo and Papou (as she called her husband) had to abandon their home, fleeing the Duvalierist Dictatorship, finding refuge in Liberia, on the West Coast of Africa. Charles worked as a French teacher (while practicing Dentistry in his private clinic) at Cuttington College (now Cuttington University) where manYo’s sewing projects included outfitting the college Soccer Team with uniforms.

Six years later, in 1968, the family relocated to New York City, in Brooklyn and later Cambria Heights, Queens. As a foreign graduate, Papou could not practice dentistry at first. ManYo became a factory worker, honing her skills as a seamstress in the Wedding Headgear industry of Manhattan. She then became her husband’s assistant when he was able to return briefly, to Dentistry.

In 1979, the now empty nesters returned to Haiti after a 17 years exile to work with the Venture In Missions (VIM) project of the Methodist Church in Jeremie as a Dentist and Sewing instructor, respectively. When Papou took up the VIM project in the Shanty town of La Saline, the couple relocated to Port-au-Prince.

The political situation in Haiti had not improved. Close to thirty years of a brutal dictatorship was replaced by near chaos. It was time to move again in 1988, now to Miami, Florida where the couple remained for 23 years.

In 1999, ManYo, who always had a deep faith in God, made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, becoming Born Again.

ManYo and Papou returned for a year to live with one daughter in Port-au-Prince, then with another daughter back in Cambria Heights, where Charles died after 66 years of marriage. ManYo then, as the saying goes, was “gone to Texas” to live with a third daughter since 2019.

One of Man Yo's main characteristics was her sensitivity to the hardship of others. She was a giver who always saw to the needs of her family, friends and even strangers.

ManYo was preceded in rest by her father Auguste Sr., her mother Amelie, her husband Charles, brothers Felix, Adalbert Sr, sisters Andree, Christine, and Olga, nephews Frantz, Leslie, niece Marie-Michele. She is survived by her daughters Marie-Solange, Florence (Reynald), Maryse (James), her brother Auguste Jr. (Catherine), grandchildren Jamie, Marlo (Vernon), Natalie, Maryse, Mikaelle, Christopher (Claire), great grandchildren, Edward, Solange, Siobhan, nephews, Tony (Josette), Jerry (Michelle), Jean-Robert, Eddy, Gary, Max (Lise), Jacques (Mirian), Lesley (Florence), Alix Sr. (Norma), Neulaton, Stanley, Claude (Kerline), Jeff, James, Adalbert Jr., James, her nieces, Margarett, Jocelyne (Ronald), Joccelyne ( Antoine), Shirley, Tanya (Francis), Jacqueline, Myriam, and Joselene, numerous grandnephews and grandnieces.

A Homegoing Celebration will be held on Thursday, June 18th 2020 via LiveStream at https:// www.facebook.com/CalvaryHillFuneralHome/ at 9:00AM CT.