William Regis (5 May 1929 - 2 September 2020)
William Régis was born on May 5, 1929 in Les Cayes, Haiti to parents Richard Régis and Marie Marthe McKenzie. He was the second of four children; including Raymond, Ghislaine, Lina, who have preceded him in their passing.
William attended the Frêres de l’Instruction Chrétienne (primary school), Lycée Philippe Guerrier (secondary school) both in Les Cayes, and Ecole Commerciale Julien Craan (Port-au-Prince).
William was a talented, educated, and sociable man who always dressed impeccably, loved music and social dancing, and collected Haitian art. He was versatile and throughout his life, worked as singer-musician, hotelier, journalist, accountant, banker, administrator, and entrepreneur.
Blessed with a deep beautiful voice, he was a member of many professional recording choirs performing a repertoire of Haitian folkloric and classical songs including the Choeur Michel Dejean, the Choeur Simidor, and the Haitian Bells, among others. As journalist and administrator in Port-au-Prince, William was director of the Radio Nationale and the newspaper l’Union, and director of the Racing FC football club. As hotelier, he respectively managed Ibolélé, Cabane Choucoune, Marabout, Kinam, Holiday Inn, and Plaza hotels in Port-au-Prince. As banker, he worked at the Royal Bank of Canada (Port-au-Prince), and as a manager at Banque de l'Union Haitienne (Les Cayes & Cap Haitien), and credit officer at Chemical Bank (New York). Later in life, he established and managed the money-transfer business Soca Transfer in Flatbush, Brooklyn where he was known in the Haitian community as “Pè Régis.” or “Direktè.”
He was a bon vivant; he loved life and went out of his way to help people. He married three times, with Monique Serres, Chimène Antoine, Gladisse Naar, with each he was blessed with a child, two daughers and a son. William loved Haiti, the land of his birth, and always dreamed of returning.
William made his transition on September 2, 2020 at Lutheran Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He suffered from a stroke the night before his death. He is mourned by his children: Magali, Jean-Robert and Ingrid, his adopted son Jean-Gary Pierre, his son-in-law Sylvain Leroux, his grand-children Jean Richard Régis, Tiffani Gomez, Julien Régis-Wilkins, Prince-Aziz Hunt, Rahman Hunt, Aishah Hunt, Vanissa Pierre, and Gambalou Leroux; his nephews and nieces Marc François, Carlyn & Allendy Victor and their children Ashmeen & Bigiany Victor, Florence & Richard Etienne and their children Elizabeth & Richard Etienne, Pascale François, James Régis and his children James Perez Regis & his wife Silvia Regis, and Tiago Nesbitt Regis.
His cousins Ulma Jumelle née Tanis, Mireille Fabius née Laguerre, Gérard Sénat, Ulrick Jean-Simon, Harry Jean-Simon, Ritza Douyon and Suzie Doyon
His extended family and friends: André. Antoine, Baussan, Beaulieu, Buteau, Casimir, CAM, Davidson, Dejean, Desmangles, Douyon, Dupuy, Dussek, Etienne, Fabius, François, Frédérique, Gabriel, Gomez, Hunt, Janowsky, Jean-Simon, Jeanty, Jefferson, Jumelle, Laguerre, Larosilière, Lemaire, Leroux, Levy, L’Hérisson, Marini, Mars, Martinier, McClaskey, McKenzie, Moise, Molière, Naar, Orlando, Pierre, Prophète, Raymond, Régis, Romain, Risner, Rincher, Sabbat, Saint Ilmon, Sénat, Serres, Tanis, Torchon, Valmon, Vernet, Victor, Wainwright, Widmaier, Wilkins, and many more affected by his passing.
His family would like to thank Brooklyn Boulevard ALP and Cobble Hill Health Center which William called home the last three years of his life. His family also wishes to express their gratitude to everyone for their prayers and support during this difficult time. he will be greatly missed.
William will be buried at Greenfield Cemetery, in Uniondale NY, alongside his dear brother and sister Raymond and Lina. May he rest in peace.
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