Joseph Wenceslas Rhuma

Obituary of Joseph Wenceslas RHUMA

Joseph Wenceslas Rhuma was born in the town of Camp-Perrin in 1935. He was one of the eight children conceived in the matrimony of Poitevien Rhuma and Lucille Remarais.  He attended St Joseph School directed by “Les Frères de l’Instruction Chrétienne.”  He later learned the trade of Cobbler, a skill he mastered with perfection and practiced for many years.  In the community, he was known as “Boss Wann” because of his savoir faire in the shoe making and repair industry.

In 1964, he married our feue mother, Josette Cherestal and conceived just as his parents, eight children (Lizette, Gina, Kennol, Floriane, Wilsa, Faubert, Chener, and Josee). Together, they worked to foster a family with strong sense of moral values, integrity, respect, and love. Our father never felt overwhelmed by any challenges he faced in life to assume his role as a provider and a leader. Never he would claim that he was too tired to fulfill his responsibility.

Joseph Wenceslas was a man of great insight. He spoke calmly and pondered his words carefully when he would engage in a conversation. Normally he would keep to himself, reserved, quiet, shy even. With his smile, he would kill you softly, like song says (a charm impossible to ignore). He lived a simple life; no exuberance, no follies. The commitment to his family was his priority. We remember how meticulous he was in anticipation to going back to school. The process always started with purchasing sufficient amount of leather and other materials to fabricate our school bags, then purchasing all books, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, etc. With a complete fancy school, we were ready to start the new school year. He took great pride in arming us with the necessary tools and make the learning process easier. We owe him a great deal of respect and reverence for his contribution to our success in life.

Later, as cost of living and education became steeper, and in search of better opportunities, he and our feue mother emigrated to the US, Brooklyn NY in 1986. He worked hard to reunite the family. And not long after (1987) almost all of us were together in the US. He worked relentlessly to support his family and nothing would stop him. When the company he worked for moved out of state, he followed them deep in the state of PA in quest of a better life for his loved ones. His commitment was extraordinary.

Things would take a sudden twist when his wife passed in 1997. Their life long commitment came to an end and in search of recomfort, he met with deceitful souls that took his honesty for granted. He suffered greatly, endured undeserved treatments. Yet he never changed despite the disappointments until the succumbed to the delirium of dementia on June 10, 2025.

In saying goodbye to our father, grandfather, uncle, cousin, “boss wann”, we salute a man who fully assume his existence; we honor a man with a sense of integrity, value, commitment, and love; we celebrate a life worthy of praise for his contributions to humanity. You will forever be missed. We are grateful for your sacrifices. THANK YOU!

Joseph Wenceslas Rhuma is survived by five of his children: Gina, Kennol, Floriane, Wilsa, Josée, and their families.

Grand children: Fabrice and Deina Felix, Annick Momplaisir, Florent and Olivier Rhuma, Flaubert, Nayla, and Nelan Camacho.

God children: Micheline Merise and Ermite Remarais.

May his beautiful soul rest in eternal peace!

 Requiescat in Pace Pater Noster!

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