Gilbert Saint Jean

Gilbert Saint Jean Sr, was born in Port-de-Paix, Haiti on October 19, 1954. He is the son of the deceased PhilomeneSaint Jean (née Aristide) and Louis-Evariste “Mareus” Saint Jean. Growing up in Port-de-Paix and later finishing his pre-university education in Port-au-Prince, Dr. Saint Jean earned a Doctorate of Medicine degree (M.D.) from the Faculté de Médecine et de Pharmacie from the Université d’Etat d’Haiti in 1981. He continued to provide medical care within the Haitian public health system as an M.D., up to the mid-1980s when he then lived in Miami, FL during which he earned a Masters in Public Health(MPH) degree in 1987 from the University of Miami (UM).

During his time in Miami, as a married man, Dr. Saint Jeanraised a family and worked for the Florida Department of Health & Rehabilitative Services (HRS). In the late 1980s, he would return to work in Haiti’s public health system, directing a public health district in Haiti’s northwest department, and worked in other outlets of the Haitianpublic health system, until returning to Miami full-time in 1992. From this time, Dr. Saint Jean returned to work at HRS and later on from the mid to late 1990s he was a leading Public Health administrator for the MiccosukeeTribe of Indians of Florida. In 1999 he left his career at the Miccosukee Tribe and pursued a doctoral degree in Epidemiology at the University of Miami. In 2004, Dr. Saint Jean earned his doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Epidemiology and continued work as a Research Assistant Professor at UM’s Department of Public Health Sciences at the Miller School of Medicine.  His research focus spanned investigations into disparities in health care access amongst immigrants and other minority populations. His service to humanity included social activism and finding ways to facilitate public health, in its various forms, to those in need, including the underprivileged.

For Gilbert Saint Jean, South Florida and Haïti were his homes. A concerned son, father, uncle, nephew, cousin and husband, he engaged with a caring sentiment to his family, friends, colleagues, and associates. He loved traveling across the United States and around the world and took pride in the accomplishments of his children and other family members. Held and lived a strong belief in the power of a formal education to facilitate ways of making a difference and in the meantime loved to have a good time. He is missed.

Dr. Saint Jean is survived by his wife Nathalie, daughter Naika, sons Gilbert Steven, Gilbert Junior, Gregory, Michelange, Alex, sister Marie Ange, brother Aleus, many cousins including Albert Saint Jean and Ms. Elvarus Petit-Frere, nephews and nieces.