Haitian-born mother of Brooklyn Dems chief passes

Marie Andrée Bichotte, the Haitian-born mother of Brooklyn Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, died on March 19, her daughter said. She was 82.

Bichotte Hermelyn said “family and loved ones were by her side when she passed away.”

“A Haitian immigrant and first generation American, Bichotte was a hardworking, caring and loving person who devoted her life to God,” said Bichotte Hermelyn, who was born in Brooklyn.

“She was a union worker and a delegate for over 25 years with the Hotel Trade Council, which afforded her and her family the opportunity to achieve the American Dream,” she added. “Bichotte, a prayer warrior, was a matriarch not only to her family, but to many in the United States, Haiti and beyond, who looked up to her as a mentor, trailblazer and community leader.”

Bichotte Hermelyn said her mother, who was born on Nov. 17, 1938, had two other children — Wagner and Marcelle Bichotte.

“Although Bichotte loved flowers, there are also a few organizations that were an important part of her life,” said Bichotte Hermelyn.

She said charitable donations can be made to Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, “an organization that embodies Bichotte’s mission of helping immigrants, women and children”; the American Heart Association, “the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke”; and the Hotel Trade Council Benefit Fund, “which benefits many immigrant hotel workers like Bichotte, and all other employees in the hotel industry during an especially trying time.”

A wake was expected to be held on Good Friday, April 2, at Andrew Torregrossa & Sons Funeral Homes, 2265 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The funeral will take place the next day, at the same funeral home, from 9:00 am – 10:30 am.

Bichotte’s body will be interred on Sunday, April 3 at Canarsie Cemetery, 1370 Remsen Ave., Brooklyn, at 11:30 am.

Bichotte Hermelyn said her mother “will be dearly missed but not forgotten.

“While we mourn her death, we also celebrate her life,” she said.

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