Rosemarie Jeanniton, nee Barnave, was born on January 7th, 1944, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and was the only child of Anna Barnave.  She was raised Catholic and lived a happy childhood in her family home in Lalue. She attended the Madame Durocher School and was known as a sweet and quiet girl who loved being around her family. In 1953, her mother Anna traveled to the United States in search of the American Dream, and Rosemarie stayed a short while in Haiti with her Aunt Margot, Margot's husband Fritz Jean, and their children Jessie, Leon, and Ernest.  In 1956, Rosemarie joined her mother Anna in Brooklyn, New York, and Anna's seven siblings and their families followed suite. Rosemarie only spoke French and Haitian Creole at the time, but with her sharp intellect, she learned English quickly and adapted effortlessly to her new American lifestyle. She graduated high school and attended The Bronx College for two years while working at Young Folks, a children's clothing store in Brooklyn.

In 1963, she met the handsome Hungarian Imre "Jimmy" Kaczirek, one of her Aunt Dalie Desvarieux (nee Barnave)'s tenants. The couple married in 1964, and the following year, they welcomed their only child together Natasha Ann Kaczirek, the valiant and spiritual warrior with a love for music. Alas, the couple divorced in 1968, and that same year, Rosemarie began her career at the New York Telephone Company, now known as Verizon.

In 1971, Rosemarie met the cunning Albert Jeanniton at a mechanic shop and they married in 1972.  By 1973, they welcomed their son Albert Rene Jeanniton, Jr., and the following year,  they bought a home in Rosedale, NY (Queens).  Rosemarie built a steady life with Albert as her career flourished. Her strong work ethics led her to climb the corporate ladder and she was known for her contributions to the "call forwarding" and "call waiting" systems. Rosemarie commuted to Boston regularly for work, all while raising two children and keeping close ties to her aunts, uncles, and many cousins. Her goddaughter Jocelyne called her almost everyday for at least 30 years, and they called themselve "BNN", the Barnave National Network.

Rosemarie had a passion for travel and she visited many places with her husband and kids including Egypt, Hawaii, and Jamaica. She had an eye for fashion and makeup, and her taste in jewelry did not go unnoticed. She always smelled nice and her nails were often painted red. She enjoyed pina coladas and Chinese cuisine, and was a slot machine connoisseur at the casinos. Her cooking was top notch, and she kept her wits sharp by watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. And who could forget her love for 60's music and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno! Rosemarie was a class act who handled dilemmas with grace, and she carried herself like a true Stoic.

In 1986, Rosemarie welcomed her first grandchild Christine by her daughter Natasha. Christine, the attentive and caring one, carries the middle name Rosemarie, and shared  Rosemarie's soft temperament and love for cooking. In 1992, Rosemarie welcomed her second granddaughter Natalia, the sharp-tongued and witty one with a love for art. Rosemarie adored Natalia's humor and sarcasm and always believed she would make a fantastic lawyer. Although the girls lived in Haiti, they would visit their grandmother on summer and winter breaks. Rosemarie was a fun and youthful grandma who enjoyed spoiling her granddaughters with many trips to the city, the zoos and museums, theme parks, and more. She often made them homecooked meals and always showered them with endless love and affection.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Rosemarie was on her way to work in downtown Manhattan, when she witnessed a plane crash into one of the Twin Towers. At first she thought to herself "well, this will take a long time to repair", and she walked to a nearby fish market in Chinatown. But when the second plane struck the second tower, she then realized the gravity of the situation. The towers began to crumble and she got caught in the dust and debris. By the grace of God, a stranger guided Rosemarie through the ruble toward the 59th street bridge, where she found a landline phone to call her husband Albert. When Rosemarie turned to thank her savior, the stranger was nowhere to be found.
In 2004, Rosemarie welcomed her grandson David, from her daughter Natasha and son-in-law David Elias. Little David is the cerebral one, the athlete and the pretty boy, who absolutely adored his Granny. Rosemarie loved David's competitive spirit as they challenged each other through board game, and she enjoyed attending his baseball games as she admired his athletic abilities.

In 2007, Rosemarie and Albert left New York and moved to their winter home in Melbourne, FL. This allowed for frequent visits from her daughter and grandchildren, who lived in Coral Springs. Weekends at Rosemarie's beach house were always filled with laughter and joy, and of course, amazing food. Soon after her relocation, Rosemarie became ill. In 2010, she was diagnosed with lung cancer, and by the Grace of God and radiation therapy, she went into remission. But a few months later, she was found to have COPD, which doctors advised was directly correlated to her prolonged exposure to asbestos at ground zero. With the help with Dr. Scott Lieberman, Rosemarie managed lived in stable conditions outside of the hospital for many years.

Also in 2010, Rosemarie welcomed her first great-grandson Aidan, the observant and serious one. In 2019, she lost her husband Albert to cancer and she relocated to Coral Springs, FL with Natasha and the Davids. Natasha was nothing short of amazing in caring for her elderly mother. Being that she inherited her mother's warrior spirit and hard work ethics, Natasha was Rosemarie's strength and guiding light. She offered constant support and encouragement, and provided unconditional love and protection without complaint. In 2020, at the height of COVID, Rosemarie tragically lost her son-in-law David Elias in June and welcomed her second great-grandson Ramses in August, the sweet and happy one.

Rosemarie Jeanniton passed away at HCA Florida Westside Hospital on Monday, June 3rd, 2024, at the age of 80. Her legacy lives on through her heartbroken children, grandchildren, and great-grand children. She is also survived by her many cousins.
Rosemarie will always be remembered as a hard working mother much like her daughter, and she will be sorely missed by her family and many friends. We will remember her profound reverence for God, and the unconditional love she possessed for her family. May her soul rest in peace.

Homegoing Services will be held on Friday, June 14th, 2024 from 04:00 PM to 06:00 PM, at the Coral Springs Funeral Home, located at 1420 N University Drive, Coral Springs, FL 33071.
A repast shall follow from 06:00 PM to 08:00 PM at the Gold Place, located at 9701 W Sample Rd, Coral Springs, FL 30065 .
Burial of Rosemarie's remains will ensue on Friday June 28th, 2024 at the St. Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, NY, followed by a repast at Mireille's Restaurant in Westbury, NY.

Heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciations go to Jocelyne Barnave, Mario and Cherry Jean, Harry Desvarieux, and Antoinette Barnave.
Arrangements entrusted to Coral Springs Funeral Home, Inc.
1420 N University Drive
Coral Springs, FL  30071

Services for Rosemarie are in the care of Coral Springs Funeral Home. Please share your memories or leave your condolences with this Online Guestbook.