LOUIS WELLINGTON

WELLINGTON--Louis. Louis Wellington, a physician, husband and father who was a pioneer health provider for Haitian immigrants died on February 4, 2023 at the Hospice Inn in Melville, NY. He was 99. Dr. Wellington received his Doctorate in Medicine from the Universite d'Haiti in 1951. He practiced obstetrics in Jacmel, Haiti where he met his wife, Laurie. In 1957, he fled Haiti under threat of arrest. He received political asylum in the Congo and then Bogota, Colombia where he practiced medicine. He received a US visa in 1962 and completed a Pediatrics residency and a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation fellowship. He was a member of the Medical Society of Kings County since 1966. Thereafter he provided medical care for generations of Haitian Americans until he closed his practice at age 85. Dr. Wellington welcomed members of the Haitian diaspora to his home to participate in tennis tournaments, enjoy festivities and play poker. He hosted fundraisers and supported candidates for political office in Haiti. In 2007, he and his wife returned to his homeland in Haiti. They returned to New York two years later because of civil unrest. In 2020, Dr. Wellington received a Nassau County Legislature Citation for being an Honoree of the Foundation for Hope & Health in Haiti. He is survived by his wife Laurie, his children Marlene Glaser, Marie-Florence Shadlen, Carol Wellington and Louis Wellington; grandchildren Jackie and Juliana Shadlen.