Jean Alfred Desroches

Jean Alfred Desroches, known to most as Alfred and affectionately called "Fredo" by his closest friends, was born on May 6, 1932, outside of Petit-Goâve, Haiti. He passed away peacefully on March 19, 2026, in Houston, Texas, at the age of 93 — a life lived with extraordinary grace, purpose, and love.

Alfred was the second oldest of ten children born to Iglorieuse Bossou Desroches ("Mama D") and Jean Delius Desroches ("Papa D"). He spent his earliest years on the family farm, where he was instilled with a deep sense of duty, gratitude, and hard work from the start. At the age of eight, he enrolled at L'École des Frères de l'Instruction Chrétienne in Petit-Goâve, a Catholic school where he would spend the week before returning to help on the farm each weekend. He would later say it was during those formative years that he first discovered his faith and his discipline — two pillars that would guide him for the rest of his life.

After graduating from the Lycée Faustin Soulouque in Petit-Goâve, Alfred briefly attended the Frères Salésien Seminary school in Port-au-Prince. Though he came to believe the priesthood was not his calling, his faith never wavered. He went on to earn his teaching degree from L'École Normale Supérieure in Port-au-Prince, returning afterward to teach at an elementary school in his hometown.

As the eldest son, Alfred naturally assumed the role of father figure and steadying presence for his younger siblings. He guided them through their studies, offered counsel in times of uncertainty, and quietly shouldered the responsibility of helping his parents however he could. His care for his family was not an obligation — it was simply who he was.

Outside the classroom, Alfred was a formidable presence on the soccer field. One of the top players in Petit-Goâve, he played as an attacking forward and was celebrated for his technical skill and the rare ability to strike powerfully and precisely with both feet. The game brought him great joy, and those who watched him play never forgot it.

In 1957, Alfred met a young nurse named Marie Thérèse Lanauze, who had recently arrived from Jacmel to practice in Petit-Goâve. It was the beginning of a partnership that would last a lifetime. They married on December 30, 1958, and soon after relocated to Port-au-Prince, where Alfred rose to serve as Bureau Chief of the Department of Finance. In 1966, he was honored as a French Government Scholar and spent six months in Paris interning with the Minister of Economic Affairs, returning to Haiti just a few days before his youngest son, Reginald, was born. This experience opened the door to a new career in accounting.

In 1968, amid the hardships of the Papa Doc era, Marie traveled to New York City to work as a registered nurse while Alfred remained in Haiti, continuing his work at the Bureau and caring for their four young children. It was a season of sacrifice borne with patience and tremendous faith. A year later, Alfred and the children joined Marie, and together they built a new life — first in a small apartment in Brooklyn, then in the Queens Village neighborhood of Queens, New York, which would remain their home through the raising of their children and well into retirement.

Those years in Queens were filled with the rhythms of a full and joyful family life. On warm Sundays, Alfred would load the children into the car and head to Heckscher State Park on Long Island — often joined by their dear friends Pierre and Mona Thomas and their family — for afternoons of laughter, food, and rest. In retirement, Alfred and Marie became avid travelers, journeying together through countries across Europe and the Middle East.

In the United States, Alfred built his entire American career as an accountant with Marubeni America Corporation, a global trading company with roots in Osaka, Japan. Day after day for decades, he made the long commute from Queens Village to Midtown Manhattan — buses, trains, and transfer upon transfer — without complaint, and without fail, using his commute to read every section of his favorite newspaper, the New York Times. He retired in 1997 after a career defined by diligence and quiet excellence.

As one of the first in their extended family to establish themselves in the United States, Alfred and Marie opened their home and their hearts to countless relatives — siblings, cousins, and others — navigating their own immigration journeys. They helped find jobs, offered shelter for months at a time, and served as an anchor for a family community finding its footing in a new country. Their home in Queens was a place of welcome and refuge.

Faith was the cornerstone of Alfred and Marie's life together. For more than 35 years, they were devoted members of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Cambria Heights, Queens, where Alfred served faithfully as an usher. In retirement, they continued their active participation in church life at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Lehigh Acres, Florida, and later at St. Hugh Church in Coconut Grove, Florida — always rooted in community, service, and prayer.

Following Marie's passing, Alfred relocated to Houston, Texas, in 2022 to be near his sons Reginald and Pascal. At the Village of Southampton assisted living community, he became one of the most beloved residents — known to the staff and fellow residents alike for his warmth, gratitude, and unassuming spirit. Those who cared for him called him "Papa," and the name suited him perfectly.

Above all else, Alfred and Marie's lives were devoted to giving their children every opportunity they had not had themselves. They poured into their family a deep and abiding commitment to hard work, integrity, perseverance, humility, and the importance of giving back. Every sacrifice they made, every hardship they endured, was an act of love. Their legacy is not measured in possessions or accolades, but in the character of those they raised and the lives they touched along the way — a legacy that no passage of time can diminish.

He is survived by four devoted children: Lionel, Magalie, Pascal, and Reginald; 13 grandchildren: Stefanie, Jessica, Julien, Erika, Adèle, Natalie, Justin, Claudine, Stephan, Andrew, Dominique, Jacob, and Shelby; one great-grandchild: Joséphine; four beloved siblings: Raymonde Myrtil, Adeline Fontin, Joseph Desroches, and Paulette Pierre; and a host of cherished family members and dear friends whose lives he graced with his presence.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 53 years, Marie Thérèse Desroches; his parents, Iglorieuse Bossou Desroches and Jean Delius Desroches; and his siblings, Marie Dacilia (Gisèle) Desroches, Charles Desroches, Yvon Desroches, Jeanty Desroches, and Marie Thérèse Laraque.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." — Matthew 25:23