Malherbe Gabriel Eyma

September 6, 1932 - June 8, 2019

With great sadness, the Eyma Family announces the sudden death of their beloved Malherbe Gabriel Eyma, a cherished son and life-long patriot of Haiti, on Saturday, June 8th, 2019, at the age of 86 in Broward County, Florida. Malherbe was born on September 6th 1932, in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, the eldest offspring of the late Emmanuel Eyma and Philomene Alfred Eyma. He completed primary school in Cap-Haitien and secondary school at Lycee Toussaint Louverture in Port-au-Prince. Malherbe attended the Military Academy of Haiti in 1953, and graduated in 1956. Following his graduation from the Military Academy (promotion LE FLAMBEAU), Malherbe served as an officer and unit commander (i.e. Commandant du Service des Transmissions des Forces Armées d’Haiti) in the Armed Forces of Haiti from July 1956 – May 1967 with final rank of Major. He furthered his training at the U.S. Marine Corps Schools for Officers at Quantico, VA, while pursuing studies in mechanical engineering by correspondence. He married his wife of 61 years, Mrs. Jaqueline Eyma (nee Lajoie) in December 1958, who together started raising their young family in Port-au-Prince. Between 1959 and 1963, Ketlie, Patrick, Ronald and Daniel were born. Due to government instability, the Eyma family requested and was granted political asylum in the Brazilian Embassy in Port-au-Prince in May 1967. Malherbe subsequently left the country under diplomatic safeguard for the U.S. in January 1968, where his wife and children were already situated and eagerly awaiting his arrival. In March 1968, he secured a position with an appliance manufacturing firm in their mechanical drafting/designing operations. Shortly afterwards, he accepted a position and career with the New York Telephone Co. (now Verizon Communications), where he distinguished himself for the next 21 years until his retirement in 1989. Among his notable accomplishments was his selection to the team of engineers and technicians deployed to the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid New York. NYT provided the major communications systems for the Olympic event, including expanding the local telephone infrastructure. It was also the first time fiber optic cables were used in (a) the State of New York, (b) an Olympic Games, and (c) transmitting network color TV programming! In addition, as a natural problem solver, Malherbe developed a device that automated telephone communication switching which, until that point, had been a manual process. The device ultimately received a U.S. Patent. In March 1970, the youngest child, Gregory, was born, and in 1972, the Eymas moved from Brooklyn to their new home in Queens, NY, where the family resided until Malherbe’s retirement. Upon his retirement, Malherbe and Jacqueline relocated to Sunrise, Florida, where they enjoyed the expansion of the Eyma family. He was a loving and doting husband of 61 years, loving father to his 5 children, and a tireless advocate for Haitian reform. For papa, as he’s affectionately known by his children and grandchildren, all actions can be categorized as right or wrong, and nothing in between. His guiding life principles included love of God, family and country (Haiti), honesty, honor, responsibility, public service, social justice, humility, simplicity, philanthropy and excellence in all things undertaken. His pet peeves included injustice, ignorance and the strong taking advantage of the weak. He is survived by his wife Jacqueline Lajoie Eyma, daughter Ketlie Eyma Baez, sons Ronald Eyma, Gregory Eyma, grandsons Richard Baez, Michael Eyma, Elijah Eyma, granddaughters Jasmine Eyma, Jadalee Eyma, son in law Rafael Baez, daughters in law Dr. Karen Eyma, Vanessa Wynn. Malherbe also leaves behind his brothers and sisters Mr. Paul Eyma & Family, Ms. Eva Eyma, Mr. and Mrs. Jean Claude Duvivier & Family, Mrs. born Claudette Eyma, Mr. Felix Eyma & Family; Ms. Cecile Eyma and Family, Mr. Henry Eyma & Family, Ms. Evelyne Eyma & Family, Mr. Ernst Eyma & Family, Mr. Dieudonne Phanord & Family, Mr. Luken Phanord & Family, Mr. & Mrs. Delouis Sam & Family, Ms. Emile Phanord & Family, Mr. Montes Phanord & Family, Ms. Marie Claude Phanord & Family, Ms. Anoline Phanord & Family; his cousins Dr. Jose Eyma & Family, Vve. Yvon Solage & Family, Mr. Jacques Eyma & Family, Mr. Emile Eyma Jr. & Family, Mr. Tony Eyma & Family, Mrs. Victorin Beauregard & Family, Mrs. Charles Manigat & Family, Mrs .Erminie P. Medina & Family, Ms. Edna Eyma & Family, Mrs. Michele Osse & Family, Mrs. Yolette Hoo & Family, Mrs. Monique Celestin & Family; his niece and, Romy Garrett, with whom he was very close, and Goddaughter Jennifer Pierre Satti; his nieces & nephews Pierre, Zamor, Pean, Oliver and Jules; his brother-in-laws & sister-in-laws Mr. Marc Gerard Lajoie & Family, Vve Carlos Chipps & Family, Mrs. born Adeline Lajoie, Mr. Lionel Lajoie & Family, Mr. & Mrs. Ernst Lajoie & Family, Mrs. born Marie-Ange Ricot, Mr. & Mrs. Pierre Lissade, Mrs. born Gislene Lajoie. His extended family: Vve Serge Bernard & Family, Mrs. born Micheline Nelson, Mr. & Dr. Yvans Richard, Dr. born Guylaine Lajoie. The Families affected by this death: Eyma, Duvivier, Phanord, Sam, Solage, Beauregard, Medina, Osse, Hoo, Celestin, Lajoie, Beauboeuf, Nelson, Lissade, Bernard, Ricot, Alerte, Elie, Richard and Satti. Papa, you will be greatly missed, and may you rest in peace. Mr. Malherbe Eyma has joined his son, the late Daniel Eyma, in Paradise.