Marie Claude Phanord

In Loving Memory of
Marie Claude Phanord
Sunrise: August 19, 1945 – Sunset: October 15, 2025
With profound sorrow and enduring faith, the Phanord family announces the passing of Marie Claude Phanord, a beloved matriarch, devoted wife, nurturing mother, and cherished grandmother and great-grandmother. She departed this life peacefully on October 15, 2025, at the age of 80, surrounded by the love of her family.
Born in Haiti on August 19, 1945, to her devoted parents Saint Thurbert Valentin and Dieudonne Berger, Marie Claude grew up in a loving, faith-filled home alongside her siblings. She was the heart of her family and a pillar of strength, grace, and generosity.
On May 2, 1970, she married the love of her life, the late Joseph Phanord, and together they built a life rooted in faith, resilience, and unwavering love. In 1977, she immigrated to the United States, where she became a proud resident of Brooklyn, NY, and later moved to Jersey City, NJ in 1989, continuing to nurture her family and contribute to her community with quiet dignity and tireless devotion.
Marie Claude worked as a CNA at the Nathan Miller Center for Nursing Care in White Plains, NY from 1986 to 2011. Her compassion and love for people extended beyond her family and into her professional life, where she cared for others with the same grace and devotion that defined her home. She was a woman of deep Christian faith, a gifted cook, and a joyful spirit who found purpose in serving others.
Her home was always filled with the aroma of Haitian dishes, the warmth of family, and the sound of laughter. She loved her church, her garden, and most of all, her family - whom she guided with wisdom, prayer, and unconditional love.
Marie Claude was affectionately known as "Big Mommy", a title that reflected her role as the matriarch of the Phanord family and the tremendous love and influence she carried within it.
Her spiritual journey began at Mission de l'Église la Foi Apostolique du Dernier Temps in Haiti, where her devotion to God first blossomed. She was a longtime member of Église Baptiste du Bon Berger de Peniel in Brooklyn, where she served faithfully as a Sunday school teacher, and later joined Église Évangélique Haïtienne de Jésus-Christ in Jersey City, where she sang joyfully in the choir.
She is survived by her four children:
Josee Karine Phanord, Jessie Phanord, Jean Caleb Phanord, and Rachelle Phanord.
Her legacy continues through her grandchildren:
Johnathan Phanord, Jamylia Clotaire, Rebecca Phanord, Giovannie Rivera, Joshua Rivera, Devante Charles, Darren Ritchie-Phanord, Quentin Phanord, Dukenson Phanord, Christian Rivera, Ashton Phanord, and Keegan Phanord and her great-grandchildren: Ian Phanord, Samya Phanord, Imani Phanord, Aniyah Stark, and llai Nathaniel Phanord.
She is also survived by her loving sisters, Nicole Valentin and Josette Valentin, and is reunited in eternal rest with her husband Joseph Phanord, her beloved grandson Ryan Charles, her late sister Mireille Jean, and her parents Saint Thurbert Valentin and Dieudonne Berger.
We invite all who knew and loved Marie Claude to join us in honoring her life, her faith, and the legacy she leaves behind.
"Bon Dye beni ou. Ale anpè." – God bless you. Go in peace.
If You Would Like To Send A Flower Arrangement To The Service Being Held On Saturday, November 1st, 2025, Please Be Aware That The Deadline For Ordering Through Our Online Portal Is Thursday, October 30th, 2025, AT 12:00 PM.
ANY ORDERS PLACED AFTER 10/30/2025, 12:00PM WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.
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