Carmen Martinez

January 9, 1930 - July 28, 2020

Carmen was born on January 9, 1930 in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti where she accomplished all her studies. She was an impeccable and admirable sister during her years in Haiti. Our mother had multiple businesses over the years, therefore she was not always home to give us the attention needed as a mother. It was Carmen who fulfilled that need, imagine my mother had seven children. She was also at an early age the godmother of our sister Marie-Claire. She came to New York in 1963 due the influence and help of her best friend Gisele Duviela. In her very first year, she was working with the “Breiners” family who had sponsored her in obtaining her residence. She was always grateful to that family. In 1965 she married Gerard Martinez. Let me assure you that it was not my mother’s first choice. Nevertheless, Carmen became attached and a good wife to Him. She loved him deeply until the end. Years later, she got to work for the City of New York in different capacities of social services including in caring and transporting the assigned children to their placement. She received many commendations for her dedicated services. It shows how well she was suited for this work due to her dedication and experience of taking care of her siblings. Carmen was also an excellent cook and she was the best at it specifically the typical menus for the Haitian palate. She would have won any contest of her special dishes. She used to do some fine works of embroidery. She was also generous to a fault. In her later years, her favorite past time was going to the casino. Therefore, if you could not find her at home then it was her place of refuge. In 2013, after a major heart surgery and due to the loss of short-term memory she went to a nursing home. Even there she used to alert the staff when they did not respond immediately to a patient’s call for help. We love Carmen for her great love, generosity, care and her simplicity of life. She was also a firm believer in God. If she had to receive a plaque in heaven, it would probably say “Well done Carmen, well done”. May God in his infinite grace, wisdom and mercy bless her with peace and love.