Virginie Novembre was born January 23, 1927 in Mirebalais, Haiti.
From when she was a young girl, she always loved to cook for her friends and family and could not wait to have her own family. Virginie enjoyed gardening in Haiti and would sell some of her foods she grew in the Haitian marketplace to support her family.
She left Haiti in 1983 to join her son in the U.S. and helped raise her grandchildren and she did so with pride and amazingly for 41 years! She lived in Chicago, Illinois, and New York until she moved to sunny South Florida where she enjoyed cooking for her family, taking care of her grandchildren, her garden of vegetables, and eating mangoes in the welcomed tropical climate. Everyone loved her famous Haitian cuisine!
Virginie was blessed to have 6 children, 11grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren. Virginie was the Matriarch of our family and leaves behind a lasting legacy behind with her sons: Irvel and Erick, daughters: Raymonde, Yvrose, Yvette, and Nicole, grand children: Wilkens, Nacky, Carter, Marjorie, LeonJr. (Pachou), Leonard, Christopher, Dieunie, Mara, Christina, Doudley, and great grandchildren: McKhaila, Malcolm, Terrence, Naila, Levi, Eli, andJulianna. Virginie (“Man Ninie”) as they affectionately called her was quite the fashionista and loved to go on monthly shopping trips with her first granddaughter Marjorie to Macy’s and JC Penneys.
She enjoyed debuting her fancy suits and hats at church on Sundays. She made such an impression in fashion that one of her granddaughters has a successful clothing line affectionally carrying Virginie’s last name. She loved to pray and taught all her children and grandchildren the importance of prayer and having a close relationship with God. She loved taking care of her family and other children in the community.
Even in their adult years, the children in the community would come to visit her with their families because they cared for her and wanted her blessing and prideful eye for how they were living their lives as she was such a role model to everyone. Man Ninie is so loved and appreciated and will be missed by her whole family and everyone’s life she touched. She was everyone’s Grandma. Her large family will carry on her rich legacy for generations to come.