Therese “Toye”/ “Tant Toye”: Born Jacqueline Therese Jeante’ to Prudence Jeante’ and Granville Simon on October 15th, 1941 in the small town of Au Cap Haitian. The youngest of three sisters, she fully embraced her qualities of nurturing and caring for others. She was the embodiment of self – sacrifice and “Loving thy Neighbor”. Like a true matriarch, she was the cornerstone of the Dieudonne Family.
During her high school years, she took up theatrics and participated in various school plays and functions. At the age of 17, fate would have her meet her high school sweetheart who eventually became her husband of 57 years! Her new life as Jacqueline Therese Dieudonne brought forth her first born Jean and subsequently Philome, Eddy, and Jasmine.
Upon finishing school she worked as a Nurse’s Aide under Doctor Beliard at the Centre de sante du Cap Haitien.
In 1969 while pregnant with her second child, Therese and her older sister Herzulie made the decision to leave Haiti and head to the US. Putting God first, she took a leap of faith and arrived to the US very pregnant, limited in resources, and a language barrier. Therese wasted no time acclimating herself. A hard working wife, mother, and student, she obtained her Social Worker license. One of the fastest typist the world has ever known she was promoted to Executive Assistant where all the paperwork had to go through Therese for proofreading, formatting, and editing prior to submission.
A devout Catholic, Therese served the church and her whole community. Good Samaritan, friend in need, or shoulder to cry; she was there already working on possible solutions. As a youth counselor she became a local Role Model for the Haitian communities in New York City as well as South Florida. “Tant Toye” was the superhero who never wore a cape. She loved the Lord and always put God first in all that she did.
Serving in the local church, taking care of her family, cooking special meals, baking, listening to classic Mexican Ranchera music, theater, bus trips, and doing whatever she could to make the world a better place were among her favorite hobbies.
To her husband she was “Toye” but to her multitude of nieces and cousins, “Tant Toye” was a sigh of relief. Blessed with a full life she got to witness all of her children’s careers and hold every grandchild.
She is survived by her husband Jacques; children Jean, Philome, and Eddy; sister; Anne-Marie Tavien; grandchildren; Yasmine, Shaddai, Elijah, Djwaidah, Dyamond, Philome-MaCandal, Nya, Daelin, Yemaya, Solomon, Jada, and Lily and her great grandchild Adonis!
“Toye, Mom, Tant Toye” without a doubt left her mark and will be missed forever.
We love you! “Nap Keep Going”!
