Fernande (Magloire) Dorsinville

Fernande Magloire Dorsinville was born on April 10th, 1932, to Lelio Magloire and Alma Magloire (Aspelly). Born in Plaisance, Haiti, she was the second of their seven children. She attended St. Joseph de Cluny Catholic school until the brevet and went to Port Au Prince to attend Elie Dubois Teacher’s College. Upon graduating, she became a teacher at Daguesseau Lespinasse Elementary school, where she taught Math, French, and Religion. While in Port Au Prince, at her sister Therese’s wedding, she met her future husband, Adrien Dorsainville. The two married in 1960 and raised three beautiful children in Port-Au-Prince, before moving to Boston, Massachusetts.

As a young child, Fernande was a bookworm and was always reading. She loved books so much that her younger sister Thérèse often struggled to pull her away from them, if only to go for a walk with her around her neighborhood.  Fernande was an intelligent, caring, determined and strong-willed woman. She devoted herself to her siblings, family, friends, but especially to the children of Haiti. She took great risks to ensure that less fortunate children got a proper education. She was so passionate about helping students gain a strong academic foundation that she opened her own kindergarten, Le Petit Poucet. There, she not only taught regular students, but also helped tutor children with Special Needs and Down Syndrome. She went so far above and beyond the call of duty that she eventually became an Area Superintendent for primary schools in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in the early 70’s. She eventually moved to the United States and in 1987, graduated from the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, as a Licensed Practical Nurse. Ever the pioneer, she also used her fluency in multiple languages to volunteer at different precincts during voting periods.

Spiritually, Fernande was a devoted Catholic. She was very involved with the churches in Haiti and Boston. For several years, she dedicated her time to Saint Angela’s Church in Mattapan, as an active parishioner and member of the choir. Together with Bernadette Obas, she implemented a clinical and instructional home health assistance training program. A great advisor, an inspiring educator, a role model and a fountain of knowledge, Fernande trained and helped steer several generations of people into beautiful careers, marked with great success.  She was involved in many social and volunteer organizations, as well as several community, youth, and educational programs.

Despite her many accomplishments, and the gravity of the many roles that she played, Fernande was also a warm and vibrant woman with a great sense of humor.  Once, when some of her nursing assistant students asked her if her husband was faithful, she jokingly replied, "He's so faithful they call him Fidel - like Fidel Castro." She was also quite the matchmaker. So much so that she was still trying to bring people together as recently as two weeks before her passing.

A pioneer, a visionary and a mother to many, Fernande was a source of light whose contributions and personal touch left an indelible mark on all who crossed her path.  She was loved by so many. Manman, Ma Fernande, Madame Mère, Tante Fernande, Maren, Fernandel, Grandma, and My Haitian Grandmother, we will miss you. Fernande Dorsinville, you may be physically gone, but your legacy will far outlive you.

Fernande was predeceased by her husband, Adrien Dorsainville; her sisters Cecille Magloire Dorsinville and Clara Obas; her brothers Andre Magloire, Jean Robert and Carl Obas. She is survived by her three children, Rabemananjara Jean Hervé Dorsinville, his loving wife Marie K. Foureau Dorsinville, Adrien Francois Dorsinville, Jr., and May G. Dorsinville and her husband Jean A. Darbouze. Her grandchildren, Patrice Olivier Dorsinville and his wife Tiffany Phillips, Laetitia Jacqueline Dorsinville, Doris Anne Darbouze and Chloé Astrid Darbouze; her great grandchildren, Nasir, Fareed, Esyrah and Nylah S. Dorsinville; her siblings: Roger Magloire, Serge Magloire, Suzy Magloire Sicard, Thérèse Magloire Legros, Monique Magloire Simon and their children.

We extend our most heartfelt condolences to all-- including her nieces, nephews, and to the following families: Dorsinville, Magloire, Darbouze, Obas, Pean, Foureau, Legros, Sicard, Simon, Jean, Talmadge, Neville, Baron, Phanor, Vieux, Aspelly, Phillips, DeVastey, Dalambert, Limage, Desrosiers, Moïse, Bastien, Williams, St. Pierre, Amisial, Castor, Jeffries, Valere.

The family would like to formally thank the nursing and medical staff of Brigham and Women’s Hospital for their expert care during Fernande’s illness. We would also like to express our gratitude to all of the friends and family who visited her during her stay at the hospital. To Rose-Claire Obas, thank you for being a caretaker and close friend to Fernande. We would like to thank her devoted daughter-in-law, Marie K. Foureau Dorsinville, whom she was very fond of and loved like her own daughter. Fernande appreciated all of your care and support and was so pleased to have you as part of the family. A special thanks to Marie Ruff and Myrtha Obas for their selfless care and support to the family during Fernande’s hospitalization.

Fernande's Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, August 9 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Theresa of Avila Church 2078 Centre St. West Roxbury, MA 02132. Enter rear parking lot from St. Theresa Ave. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. To view a live-stream of the Funeral Mass, please go to https://www.youtube.com/@st.theresaofavilaparishwes3843/streams

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Fernande's memory may be made to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Parish in Mattapan, MA.

Fernande will be laid to rest at St. Joseph Cemetery in West Roxbury.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish
1548 Blue Hill Ave, Mattapan MA 02126
Web: https://www.olmcboston.org/