Pierre Souvenir Jean-Paul
1949 - 2023
On Sunday, January 8th, 2023, Pierre Souvenir Jean-Paul, beloved husband and father of five* passed away at the age of 73. His funeral will take place Saturday, January 21, 2023 at St. Barbara’s Church, 5359 Lebanon Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19131. The viewing starts at 10am, and the funeral begins at 11am; interment and repast to follow. Flowers may be sent to St. Barbara’s Church, and contributions may be sent via Cashapp $rbakerapparel or Zelle (267) 235-8557.
Souvenir is survived by his wife Marie Eltide Jean-Paul, his five children- Carmelle, Judy* (niece), Jamie, JR and Regina; six grandchildren- Kasai, Laila, Jason, Shiloh, Marcus and Ramses, which he absolutely adored and many siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Those who knew him viewed him as loving, supportive, entrepreneurial, and intelligent; yet, tough and strong-willed. He could problem solve practically anything! He had an entrepreneurial spirit, loved starting a new business venture practically every month, listening to his Kompa music, embracing technology, playing games such as Dominos and Ludo, and buying and selling trucks.
In his younger days, one could easily identify Souvenir by his very serious face, one that could make anyone tremble. As he matured, that serious face transitioned into a warm and welcoming smile. He would use his booming, raspy, voice to passionately help, advise, protect, (let's be honest, many times tell), and defend those he loved and cared for. That thunderous voice was also used to debate or shut down anyone on any topic.
Souvenir was such a high-spirited, energetic man: walking all over the place, driving thousands of miles in the dark, no radio, no glasses, no AC, no one to keep him company, and sometimes one headlight! Nothing stopped him from getting back home to his beloved Saut-d'eau – even if it that meant hopping a border wall and riding on the back of a moped. And yet, his family never had any worries.
Souvenir always stressed the importance of family sticking together and being there for one another. Though many would say he was far from a saint, he had many saintly ways about him. He truly loved and wanted the best for people. He helped to create a school in his hometown of Saut-d’eau, to ensure that local children would no longer have to leave their families to get educated. He pioneered a Haitian radio station in Philadelphia to strengthen the Haitian community and provide Haitians in Philadelphia access to resources.
He opened up his home throughout the years to many family members who recently came into the country, were recovering from illness, needed a place to stay, or even just wanted to hang out with their cousins. He always made sure that anything he did for his kids, he did for all children that were around him; no child was left behind. He loved all children and treated them as his own. For Souvenir, love was an action! He rarely said it, but so much of what he did embodied it!
Souvenir lived life fully, fearlessly, and exactly the way he wanted- always on his own terms! Always said what he meant and meant what he said. Be comforted in that!
You may be mourning. You may be hurting. You may be crying, but in Souvenir’s own words, “Crying will get you nowhere.” He also said, “No one goes before it’s their time.” Take that with you. He’s in a better place and will wait for you on the other side.
DISCLAIMER - The below flower and tree options were not selected or endorsed by the family however we are unable to remove these options as they are a part of the website’s revenue system that keeps it online. Thank you for your understanding.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Pierre Souvenir Jean-Paul, please visit our floral store.