Obituary of The Right Reverend Jean Rigal Elisee

The Right Reverend Jean Rigal Elisee passed away on September 20th, 2017 at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, NJ. He was born to Joseph Elisee and Melicia LaBorde on September 26th, 1927 in Leogane, Haiti. He is the oldest of 12 children (Four from his mother and eight half siblings). He received his Masters in Divinity from The former Philadelphia Divinity School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia. Bishop Elisee first became an ordained priest in the diocese of Haiti. He was then sent by the Domestic and Foreign Mission Society as missionary to Monrovia, Liberia. On June 12th, 1980 he was appointed as Bishop of The Gambia and the Rio Pongas in the province of West Africa to be a missionary of the Episcopal Church and also USPG (United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel - In London, England). He would then spend over 22 years in mission in West Africa. (Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, and Liberia) He would also marry his wife Anita Elisee prior to leaving Haiti for his mission in West Africa. She would also work as a missionary by his side teaching at the church nursery, developing strong relationships with the locals in each country she travelled to and was actively involved in the church. In 1986, Bishop Elisee came to the United States and worked for several years under the Episcopal Diocese of New York and Newark as a supply Bishop assisting with confirmations until his retirement. Bishop Elisee is survived by his wife Anita and his four children Ruth, Raynald, Joseph and Monique. He also has four grandchildren Michelle, Brittney, Jordan and Chanel. He is also survived by his brothers’ Martelly, Roland, and half-brothers and half-sisters; Nicholas, David, Jean-Baptiste, Pauline and Catherine. Bishop Elisee was preceded in death by his parents and brother Ovide, half-brother Ribeau and half-sisters Ann and Mamie. Funeral arrangements are as follows: the viewing will be held at Grace Church 950 Broad Street, Newark on Friday, September 29th, 2017 from 6pm to 9pm; and viewing will also be held starting at 10am on Saturday September 30th, followed by the service at 11am. Repast will follow. Free parking can be found at the following locations: University and Washington Streets, Nevada Street, or behind the church. Gifts(In lieu of flowers) can be made in his memory to: St.Vincent’s School for the Handicapped,Port-Au-Prince, Haiti https://www.episcopalchurch.org/library/video/st.vincents-school-handicapped-port-au-prince-haiti Please send gifts annotated for St.Vincent’s to: The Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society The Development Office 815 Second Ave, New York NY 10017 Thank you!