Jean Michel Tertulien (“Tifre”)
Some lives are measured not by their length, but by the love they pour out into the world. Such was the life of Jean Michel Tertulien, affectionately known by family and friends as “Tifre.”
Tifre was born in Gaman, Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, to Jean Florestal Tertulien and the late Virgina Mathurin (“Nonfi”). He was the second of three sons and grew up in a humble home where faith, hard work, and family devotion were not merely taught but lived every day. From his earliest years, he developed a deep love for God, for the Catholic Church, and for the family that would remain at the center of his life until his final breath.
He completed his primary education at École Nationale de Dume and later attended Jean-Jacques Rousseau High School in Tabarre. Blessed with extraordinary musical talent, Tifre continued his studies at the University of St. Gerard in Carrefour Feuilles, Port-au-Prince, where he refined the gifts that would become one of the defining features of his life. Immediately upon graduation, Tifre started his own music school in his grandmother’s neighborhood in Tubée. Music was not simply something he played and taught; it was the language through which he praised God, served others, and expressed his feelings.
A gifted and versatile musician, Tifre mastered numerous instruments, including piano, keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, drums, tanbou, and other percussion instruments. Those who knew him often marveled at his natural ability, but those closest to him understood that his greatest gift was not his talent, it was his willingness to place that talent at the service of God.
Raised in a devout Catholic family, Tifre never wavered in his faith. He was actively involved in the Church from a young age, participating in Group Apostola, which his father, Florestal, directed throughout his lifetime, and in the Kiwo Catholic youth movement (Jonc Chapter), where he deepened his commitment to Christian service and discipleship. Faith was not an obligation for him; it was the foundation upon which he built his life.
His musical ministry led him to serve many parishes throughout Haiti. Although he maintained strong ties to his home parish community, he generously shared his gifts wherever they were needed. Choirs, congregations, and fellow musicians came to know him as a man whose music was inseparable from his prayer. Whether playing the bass guitar, directing musicians, or accompanying sacred liturgies, Tifre’s greatest desire was to help others encounter God.
In 2011, after meeting the love of his life, he married Marie Lucile Joseph. Together they began a journey marked by sacrifice, perseverance, and hope. Like so many Haitians seeking opportunities for a better future, Tifre left Haiti for Brazil in 2016. There he worked tirelessly, eventually obtaining permanent residency and later sponsoring his wife so they could continue building their life together.
Yet even during those years of hard work and sacrifice, Tifre faced one of the greatest trials of his life. Following a devastating bicycle accident in Brazil, he suffered severe injuries that left him partially paralyzed and fighting for his future. Many would have surrendered to despair. Tifre did not.
The road that followed was long and painful. There were setbacks, uncertainty, and physical suffering. Yet through it all, he remained steadfast in faith. He prayed, persevered, and entrusted himself to God. His determination became a testimony to everyone around him. Even when life seemed to knock him down, he found the strength to rise again.
Seeking greater opportunities, Tifre and Lucile made the difficult and exhausting journey to the United States in 2022 and settled in Randolph, Massachusetts. Once again, they started over. His new life in America was not easy and tested his spirit. But once again, Tifre embraced the challenge with courage and determination.
His faith quickly led him back to the Church, where he found a spiritual home at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Mattapan, Massachusetts. There he joined the choir and resumed the ministry he loved so dearly, serving as a musician and sharing the gifts God had entrusted to him. For Tifre, music remained an act of worship and a way of giving thanks to God for every blessing and every victory.
After years of living with the consequences of his accident, Tifre underwent surgery in the United States to correct and realign his damaged spine. The procedure offered him a new beginning. Once his health improved, he wasted no time. He returned to work with the same relentless determination that had defined his entire life.
In 2025, he was hired by Costco Wholesale. He approached his work with pride, integrity, and an unmatched work ethic. Those who knew him understood that he was not working only for himself. Every hour he labored was motivated by his desire to provide for those he loved. Above all, he carried a profound love for his father, whose well-being remained one of the driving forces of his life.
That love was displayed most powerfully in 2023, when his father was abducted amid the violence that has devastated many communities in Haiti. Faced with this unimaginable crisis, Tifre refused to stand by helplessly. From abroad, he mobilized family, friends, and members of the community, tirelessly seeking assistance and advocating for his father’s release. His efforts reflected the depth of his devotion as a son and his unwavering commitment to those he loved.
Throughout his life, Tifre endured hardship after hardship. Poverty, migration, injury, uncertainty, and personal loss never succeeded in breaking his spirit. Instead, each challenge revealed the strength of his character. He believed that God had a purpose for his life and that every setback could become an opportunity for grace.
Tragically, on June 4, 2026, Tifre suffered a massive stroke that left him critically ill. Surrounded by prayers and the love of family and friends, he fought bravely for nearly two weeks. On June 16, 2026, at 5:52 p.m., God called His faithful servant home.
Though his passing leaves an immeasurable void, his life remains a powerful testimony of faith, perseverance, sacrifice, and love. He now joins his beloved mother, Virgina Mathurin, who preceded him in death in 2021, and his younger brother, Jean Sobner Tertulien, who passed away in 2009.
He leaves behind his devoted wife, Marie Lucile Joseph; his beloved father, Jean Florestal Thertulien; his brother, Jean Emmanuel Tertulien (“Mandan” or “Manno”); and countless relatives (Ronald Thertulien, Renold Therthulien, Geraldine Thertulien, Christine Thertulien, Ynelda Thertulien, Vega Weizman Thertulien, Fina Thertulien, Marie Claude Thertulien, Dieufaite Thertulien, Shelove Thertulien St. Jacques, Wibendy Mathurin, Kerry Johnnley Louis, Thony Pierre, Johnndy Pierre, John Kerry Pierre, Duckenson Pierre, Kervens Anilus, Kenia Anilus, Sousha Anilus, Lener Ducasse, Thomas Ducasse, Kerdy Pierre, Samantha Ducasse, Gina Mona Cebeat Ducasse, Wesben Dadou Cebeat Aristhene, Romane Cebeat, Koubens Cebeat, and Yolande Cebeat, Joceline Polynice, Wawa Polynice, and Cadoune Polynice), friends, fellow musicians, parishioners, and loved ones whose lives were forever touched by his kindness, generosity, and
unwavering faith.
Tifre’s story is not ultimately a story of suffering. It is a story of courage. It is the story of a son who loved deeply, a husband who sacrificed faithfully, a musician who glorified God, and a disciple who never stopped trusting the Lord.
Though his earthly song has ended, the melody of his life continues in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.
“Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).
Funeral Arrangements
The family of Jean Michel “Tifre” Tertulien warmly invites relatives, friends, fellow musicians, parishioners, and all whose lives were touched by him to join them in celebrating his life and entrusting him to the loving mercy of God.
Family and friends are invited to gather afterward in the Church Hall to greet the family, share memories, and celebrate the life of a man whose faith, music, perseverance, and love continue to inspire all who knew him. “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.”
Family and frinds are invited to attend the viewing hour on Saturday July 11, 2026 from 8-9 AM followed bya Mass of Christian Burial at 9 AM in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 1548 Blue Hill Ave, Mattapan, Ma. Burial will be in Oak Lawn Cemetery, 427 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, MA.