Philomene Conserve

Philomene Florence (Borno) Conserve, 84, of Providence, Rhode Island passed away on March 13th, 2026, of heart disease.  

 was born on October 29, 1941, in a small village in the countryside of Haiti called “ Cadet.

She grew up in Cadet until her adolescence, and in 1957 she moved to Port-au-Prince to live with her mother who has years before left Cadet in search of a better life for her family.

Arrived in Port-au-Prince Florence started working right away to help her mother provide for the rest of the family left behind until the two of them working together can bring everyone under the same roof.

She started her first job at the congressional elite school Sainte Rose de Lima at Lalue. 

There she acquired many organizational skills and learned cooking, baking and savoir faire.

Florence was a very helpful and devoted family member who puts her family’s needs ahead of her own. After she successfully helped her mother acquire a home for her dad her siblings 

she left her job and enrolled herself to Mrs. Mews professional school and became an excellent seamstress and that was the best decision of her life.

After graduating she moved to Berthé, Pétion-Ville and went to live with her cousin Eléonore Sénat at a family friend’s home Mrs. Saint Jean who also was a seamstress and established herself as a professional dress maker.  She loves her profession and was very successful at it. She gained the reputation of being an excellent seamstress and acquired lots of customers.

Her customers loved her and she worked very hard to support and care for all of them.

Fortunately for Florence and our family and unfortunately for her customers that this profession was going to open for her an opportunity never expected.  In the mid 1960’s the American government decided to recruit professionals from Haiti, offering them permanent legal residency in the United States providing they can demonstrate their skills to the satisfaction of the government embassy in Haiti. Florence decided to present herself as a professional seamstress and she was showing a dress on a catalog and was asked to make it.  She took the challenge and under supervision she designed a pattern and made the dress to perfection and was granted an H1B visa which guaranteed her legal entry to the U.S. 

She left Haiti in 1967 and went to Brooklyn, New York.  That move opened doors for the rest of the family and others.  

Shortly after arriving in New York, she met her husband Luc Gilbert Conserve with whom she has three beautiful children Patrick, Gilbert Jr. and Martine.

Today, we join to celebrate her strength and courage in opening the gates  for her family’s entry and life in America.  

Philomene and her three children later moved to Providence, RI in a move to provide stability and to fulfill her lifelong goal of homeownership and a career in nursing.  She worked for Charlesgate Nursing Center on the East Side of Providence for over 20 years, retiring in 2012 to spend time with her grandchildren.   She loved her patients, her family, her church community and caring for her home.   She maintained her love for sewing by making anything from napkins, satin curtains, clothing for her children. even 1st communion gowns and dresses for formal events for her daughter.    

In moving to Rhode Island also came a deep connection with the Haitian Catholic Church community based at St. Michael’s church in Providence.  This church community became a member of her family and lifeline for many years.  

Remaining to cherish Philomene’s memory her three childrenPatrick Conserve, Gilbert, Jr. Conserve and Martine Conserve; grandchildren, Deja Conserve, Zilah Conserve, Korah Conserveand Patrick, Jr. Conserve, Prince Conserve, Zyon Levi Conserve, Cadence Conserve, Veena Marie Conserve; sisters, Eleonore Borno Azor, Yvette Borno; Brother, Dominique Borno,sisters Eleonore Azor and family Yvette Borno and family her godsister and cousin Marie Marthe Loredan and family, Dr. Williams Berthier (Billy), Sonny Jeanty, Bernadette Jeanty and Polon Jeanty.  

and Yvonne Borno; sister, Gertrude Borno Laverdure; brother, Jean Gaspard Borno. Yvonne and Bornéus Borno, her aunt and godmother Fernande Berthier, her brother Jean Gaspard Borno(Bobby) and her sister Gertrude Laverdure (Kèkette). Her close cousins Marie Thérèse Vilneus. 

She also left behind multiple nieces and nephews, cousins and close friends.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.