Obituary for Joseph Daniel Jocelyn
Joseph Daniel Jocelyn, loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend, and mentor to many, passed away on March 7, 2022, unexpectedly and entered fully into the presence of the Lord he has served for 70 years. He was 85 years old.
Joseph, or “Frere Daniel,” as everyone in Haiti called him, was born to Nicholas Jocelyn and Nesida Louis Jeune on July 14, 1936, in Angibeau, Haiti. After losing his earthly father at the tender age of five, and losing his mother in his early teenage years, leading him to claim his heavenly Father as his own, having trusted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at a young age. Daniel was a member of the church early on. He rose through the ranks to become the president of the adult choir “Progressiste” of the baptist church of “Bois Piquant” for over 15 years. He embraced his faith entirely, worked in the ministry wholeheartedly, and loved people selflessly. He founded and lead the “Cellule de priere group” in Port-au-Prince, lead numerous evangelism missions throughout Haiti.
Growing up in an environment of scarce educational and economic opportunities, Daniel moved to Port-au-Prince as a young man to train as an auto mechanic. He subsequently worked as a licensed tourist guide in Haiti before starting a career with the US embassy in Port-au-Prince, from which he retired in 1985.
Daniel and his beautiful bride, Alourdes Eugene, met at a very young age, married on May 27, 1967, and bore three sons, Samuel Jocelyn, Joel Jocelyn, and Jean-Daniel Jocelyn. Daniel and Alourdes wanted the best for their sons and sacrificed much to send them to the United States for post-secondary education and to establish their careers. Daniel was a leader and a visionary. He knew that his most significant legacy would be the deep faith he would leave to his children through his explicit and systematic teaching of God’s word to his family daily. He faithfully followed the Bible’s prescription to “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). In addition to daily family devotions, Daniel held weekly “lengthy” prayer meetings with his sons and required them to prepare mini-sermons to share with the family.
Samuel, Joel, and Jean-Daniel remembered their childhood fondly because Daniel spelled love for his children with “TIME .” He prioritized the quality and quantity of the time he spent with his family and consistently placed family and faith over fortune. Weekends in the Jocelyn’s household were bustling and fun. They included Friday afternoon movies at the theater, Friday evening at the restaurant, weekly evening family prayer meetings, all-day Saturdays at the beach, Sunday Morning worship at the First Baptist Church of Port-au-Prince, mid-afternoon “Sunday School” at the Bois-Piquant Baptist church, Sunday late afternoon lunch at a chic restaurant, and Sunday evening worship service at the “John 3:16 Church.”
Daniel lived in Brockton, MA, with his wife for over 20 years. He was very active in his community and was a servant leader. He was a YMCA member, and often one could see him walking through the Brockton community or going for his usual daily workouts, which included aerobics and weight training. In his later years, Daniel continued to commit to his ministry work in Haiti and even started a church. He was very proud of his family and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren.
Daniel was passionate about sharing the love of our Lord with others and was an integral part of the church. A loyal servant to God, he spent many hours dedicating his life to preaching, leading prayer services, and providing relief to those in need. Now that Daniel has passed into the arms of our Lord, we should remind ourselves with Lesley Pendleton Baker that “Death is not a blind alley that leads the human race into a state of nothingness, but an open door which leads man into life eternal.” While Daniel’s death is the end of his physical life on Earth, it also ushers for him a new eternal and beautiful journey with his Heavenly Father.
Joseph is survived by many loving family members, including his loving wife, Alourdes Jocelyn; his three sons, Samuel Jocelyn, Joel Jocelyn, and Jean-Daniel Jocelyn; his two daughters, Johanne Jocelyn and Melissa Jocelyn; his grandchildren, Samantha Joy Jocelyn, Akim Jocelyn, Nathanael Jocelyn, and Abigail Jocelyn; his many nieces and nephews, as his loved ones from the Eugene Family, Joseph Family, Vertus family,Benoit family, Point-du-Jour Family, Corioland Family, and Antoine Family.
As brother Daniel sits near the throne of his savior, we can almost hear his cry of victory over death in the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This cry of victory will also be ours when we who know Jesus also transition into eternity to reunite with Daniel, our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and friend.
Face masks are required for all individuals visiting the funeral home and church, regardless of vaccination status. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Joseph, or “Frere Daniel,” as everyone in Haiti called him, was born to Nicholas Jocelyn and Nesida Louis Jeune on July 14, 1936, in Angibeau, Haiti. After losing his earthly father at the tender age of five, and losing his mother in his early teenage years, leading him to claim his heavenly Father as his own, having trusted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior at a young age. Daniel was a member of the church early on. He rose through the ranks to become the president of the adult choir “Progressiste” of the baptist church of “Bois Piquant” for over 15 years. He embraced his faith entirely, worked in the ministry wholeheartedly, and loved people selflessly. He founded and lead the “Cellule de priere group” in Port-au-Prince, lead numerous evangelism missions throughout Haiti.
Growing up in an environment of scarce educational and economic opportunities, Daniel moved to Port-au-Prince as a young man to train as an auto mechanic. He subsequently worked as a licensed tourist guide in Haiti before starting a career with the US embassy in Port-au-Prince, from which he retired in 1985.
Daniel and his beautiful bride, Alourdes Eugene, met at a very young age, married on May 27, 1967, and bore three sons, Samuel Jocelyn, Joel Jocelyn, and Jean-Daniel Jocelyn. Daniel and Alourdes wanted the best for their sons and sacrificed much to send them to the United States for post-secondary education and to establish their careers. Daniel was a leader and a visionary. He knew that his most significant legacy would be the deep faith he would leave to his children through his explicit and systematic teaching of God’s word to his family daily. He faithfully followed the Bible’s prescription to “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). In addition to daily family devotions, Daniel held weekly “lengthy” prayer meetings with his sons and required them to prepare mini-sermons to share with the family.
Samuel, Joel, and Jean-Daniel remembered their childhood fondly because Daniel spelled love for his children with “TIME .” He prioritized the quality and quantity of the time he spent with his family and consistently placed family and faith over fortune. Weekends in the Jocelyn’s household were bustling and fun. They included Friday afternoon movies at the theater, Friday evening at the restaurant, weekly evening family prayer meetings, all-day Saturdays at the beach, Sunday Morning worship at the First Baptist Church of Port-au-Prince, mid-afternoon “Sunday School” at the Bois-Piquant Baptist church, Sunday late afternoon lunch at a chic restaurant, and Sunday evening worship service at the “John 3:16 Church.”
Daniel lived in Brockton, MA, with his wife for over 20 years. He was very active in his community and was a servant leader. He was a YMCA member, and often one could see him walking through the Brockton community or going for his usual daily workouts, which included aerobics and weight training. In his later years, Daniel continued to commit to his ministry work in Haiti and even started a church. He was very proud of his family and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren.
Daniel was passionate about sharing the love of our Lord with others and was an integral part of the church. A loyal servant to God, he spent many hours dedicating his life to preaching, leading prayer services, and providing relief to those in need. Now that Daniel has passed into the arms of our Lord, we should remind ourselves with Lesley Pendleton Baker that “Death is not a blind alley that leads the human race into a state of nothingness, but an open door which leads man into life eternal.” While Daniel’s death is the end of his physical life on Earth, it also ushers for him a new eternal and beautiful journey with his Heavenly Father.
Joseph is survived by many loving family members, including his loving wife, Alourdes Jocelyn; his three sons, Samuel Jocelyn, Joel Jocelyn, and Jean-Daniel Jocelyn; his two daughters, Johanne Jocelyn and Melissa Jocelyn; his grandchildren, Samantha Joy Jocelyn, Akim Jocelyn, Nathanael Jocelyn, and Abigail Jocelyn; his many nieces and nephews, as his loved ones from the Eugene Family, Joseph Family, Vertus family,Benoit family, Point-du-Jour Family, Corioland Family, and Antoine Family.
As brother Daniel sits near the throne of his savior, we can almost hear his cry of victory over death in the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:55-57: “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” This cry of victory will also be ours when we who know Jesus also transition into eternity to reunite with Daniel, our beloved father, grandfather, uncle, and friend.
Face masks are required for all individuals visiting the funeral home and church, regardless of vaccination status. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.