Cecile Marie Joseph

Cecile led a life of hard work, of faith in her Lord and of complete devotion to her children, grandchildren and the many others that called her Mammie Thèthè. She was born on March 29th, 1943, in Léogâne, Haiti. She was the youngest daughter of the late Gedeon & Catherine Duflerant Joseph, with three sisters: Celita, Fernande and Denise.

Cecile is survived by her second daughter Myriame Sylvain, of Miramar Florida, and by her son Ernest Philippe Sylvain, of Boynton Beach, Florida. She is also survived by her four grandchildren: Kristy, Alain, Aryel and Chelsea, and her memory will live on with her beloved nieces and nephews: Frantz, Michelle, Patrick, Gege and their children.

Cecile lost her dear soulmate and father to her three kids Edmond Sylvain, in a car accident on the streets of Port-Au-Prince in 1976. She lost her eldest daughter Dominique Sylvain Vulcain in 1993 to cancer in Miami Florida. And more recently, lost her last remaining sister Fernande, in March of 2020 in Worcester Massachusetts.

Every time life broke her heart, Cecile would rise back up with faith and grace, showing us all what strength and compassion can accomplish. After Edmond’s passing, she mastered photography and business, becoming one of the youngest female business owners in Port-Au-Prince, and the first woman in Haiti to be a professional photographer. But her proudest moment came when, as a single mother, she watched her eldest daughter: Dominique graduate as a Medical Doctor from the State University of Medicine in Port-Au-Prince and start a residency program in Miami Florida.

After gaining a son in law and two beautiful granddaughters, Cecile would lose Dominique to cancer, and again would have to source the heavens for strength. And carry on she did, starting over as most immigrants do, working as a Nurses’ Aid, Toll Booth Collector, and various jobs with the sole purpose of selflessly supporting her family. She raised her second daughter and her son to both become Registered Nurses, and cherished her grandkids graduating High School, College, and Kristy becoming a Captain in the US. Army. She finally retired in 2008, and with her faithful but arrogant cat: Mittens, from her second story condo in Sunrise Lakes Florida, continued to watch over us all as the matriarch she had become. From Boston to Switzerland, she enjoyed the wines and delicacies that her loved ones would spoil her with. She enjoyed movies, classical music, art and traveling abroad, although most trips were to Haiti where she continued to renovate her house, harboring dreams as all immigrants do, of someday finally going back home.

As Cecile was diagnosed with colon cancer, she made that speed dial call to God and mustered the strength to fight it off for more than a year, gifting us all a little more time to show our love. As her health and pandemic restrictions canceled travel plans to Spain for her great niece Fiona’s dream castle wedding, the heavens called and offered her a different type of travel arrangements: unlimited, unrestricted. So, realize that from now on, whenever or wherever we choose to gather: she will be there.

We love you, Mammie.

A funeral is scheduled for Saturday August 29th, 2020 with visitation at 1:00 PM and service at 2:00 PM and burial at 3:00 PM, all at the Forest Lawn Funeral Home South. Pastor Devin Brown will officiate. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Cecile’s life. Our family would like to thank all of you for your kind words and gestures, in supporting us through this process.

Flowers and donations can be sent to: Forest Lawn Funeral Home South, 2401 Davie Road, Davie, Florida 33317, PH: 954-792-9360, FAX: 954-321-5174.

More information and memories can be found online at: www.CelebrateCecile.com