Obituary for Mercel "Mercie" White (Watson)
Mercel White, RN, BSN
September 2, 1951 – September 26, 2022
Mercel White (affectionately known as “Mercie”) was born Sunday, September 2, 1951 to Violet Watson and Purcel Witter, in Y-S, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. She grew up in Black River, where she attended Salvation Army Basic School and Black River Primary School. Her favorite subjects were reading, poetry, and arts and crafts. Mercel earned a full scholarship to St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. There, she was a Prefect and graduated first among the girls and third overall, behind two boys. One became her best friend and husband, Charles.
After high school, Mercel worked as a pre-trained teacher librarian, and then attended Kingston School of Nursing in Kingston, Jamaica. Thus began her long career as a Registered Nurse in Jamaica, the UK and the US, working at hospitals including Bustamante Children’s Hospital and Black River Hospital in Jamaica, The Lanarkshire School of Midwifery in the UK, and Phelps Hospital and Montefiore Medical Center in New York. As a nurse for nearly 50 years, she gave her best to all her patients, and mentored many young nurses. She was also a proud union member and an active delegate, and advocated relentlessly for better working conditions and benefits for nurses, and improved patient care.
On December 11, 1976, Mercel married her best friend Charles (de Gaulle) at Mandeville Parish Church. He was and will always be the love of her life! Their first child, Ramón, was born the next year, followed by their daughter, Camele-Ann, a few years later. Mercel was a loving wife, mother and friend. She enjoyed traveling, tending to her garden, journaling, reading mysteries, and doing crossword puzzles. Her favorite places were Jamaica, South Carolina and Belize, and she loved to be by the sea. She delighted in the wonder of the moon and the stars on a clear night, and even witnessed the planetary alignment earlier this year! Mercel treasured spending time with her family, especially talking and laughing with her loving husband, Charles. She was immensely proud of her children and loved them both dearly.
Mercel was an active member of St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church, and faithfully prayed, read her Bible and mediated every morning. She always believed in the goodness of the human spirit, and never wavered to help others. Mercel was extremely thankful to God for His love, guidance, blessings and faithfulness to her and her family, the life she lived and enjoyed, and His special blessings to her husband and children. God is great!
Mercel is survived by her beloved husband of 45+ years (and best friend of 54+ years), Charles; her precious son, Ramón; her cherished daughter, Camele-Ann; siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous dear friends and loved ones.
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ATTENTION: During the continuing COVID-19 crisis, as we slowly phase back into smaller capacity public visitations/services, we need your help in limiting and controlling the number of people, so please govern yourself accordingly for the health & safety of all. Thank you so kindly!
A Funeral Service will be held on Sat., Oct. 22nd, 11:00AM at St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church with limited capacity. So you may come to the church to try to attend, with your masks on. At the very least you can get hand sanitizer & sign the register book (NOTE: please feel free to bring your own pen). If not at capacity, you will be allowed in to have a seat; but if at capacity by the time you get there, you may be required to leave the premises after signing register book, so as not to be in violation nor cause a health hazard, so please govern yourself accordingly. Regardless of if you're able to enter/be seated, or not, please refrain from touching/hugging/handshaking, ONLY elbow bumping briefly if at all. If instructed, PLEASE KINDLY RESPECTFULLY leave the building & premises if the church is at their capacity. PLEASE KINDLY RESPECTFULLY follow & abide by the directions of the funeral home staff and/or church or cemetery personnel at all times. We Thank You in advance for following directions & policies, so as to make all go smoothly the day of the services, to eliminate further burden on the family, and to maintain the health & safety of All. Any questions, or if any clarity is needed, please call ahead to the funeral home and/or church, and/or speak to us from a safe distance if present.
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The Entire Staff of Lee's Funeral Home, LLC respects that the family of Mercel White entrusted the care of their loved one to us, and that they value the level of service & attention our funeral home provides. We are honored, in turn, to provide comfort, assistance and service to the White family during their time of bereavement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please leave written condolences now herein on the Memory Wall to express your sorrow, share your memories, and as an expression of sympathy & way to communicate with/offer comfort to the family, that they and others may see, and may be a lasting tribute in her honor, whether you're able to attend or not. Definitely Please SIGN IN on the Memory Wall as a virtual way of signing the register book, especially if choosing to stay safe/not able to sign in person.
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You MUST come to the church & cemetery wearing a mask, & wear a mask inside the church, and social distance as much as possible at all times. If you know you have a coronovirus/COVID-19; are sick/experiencing symptoms of coronovirus/COVID-19; are immuno-compromised and/or have health/other conditions that make your body more susceptible to illness, please do NOT attend any services nor come to either facility. Please feel free to bring & use your own pen for signing the family's register book - you are encouraged to please BRING & use your own PEN for signing. Please follow & abide by the rules of the church & cemetery, and directions of the funeral home staff, church and/or cemetery personnel at all times. We Thank You in advance for following directions & any policies, so as to make all go smoothly the day of the services, to eliminate further burden on the family, and to maintain the health & safety of All. Any questions, or if any clarity is needed, please call ahead to the church and/or funeral home, and/or speak to us from a safe distance if present.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Lieu of flowers, the family kindly appreciates contributions be made in her name/memory/honor to the Cancer Support Team (may be done on your own at https://cancersupportteam.org/donate/ or also simply through the donation tab/link here in website at the bottom of this page), and/or St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church (see church information under Service Details, and/or to church via Zelle - SaintJosephofArimathea@gmail.com). As a lasting tribute, you may also choose to plant a tree, and/or a contribution may be made in her name/memory/honor as indicated above. If sending flowers despite family's request, they may be delivered either on Fri. Oct. 21st, 2022 by/before 6:00PM to Lee's Funeral Home, and/or on Sat., Oct. 22nd by/before 10:45am to St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church. The Family Thanks You!
September 2, 1951 – September 26, 2022
Mercel White (affectionately known as “Mercie”) was born Sunday, September 2, 1951 to Violet Watson and Purcel Witter, in Y-S, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica. She grew up in Black River, where she attended Salvation Army Basic School and Black River Primary School. Her favorite subjects were reading, poetry, and arts and crafts. Mercel earned a full scholarship to St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in Santa Cruz, Jamaica. There, she was a Prefect and graduated first among the girls and third overall, behind two boys. One became her best friend and husband, Charles.
After high school, Mercel worked as a pre-trained teacher librarian, and then attended Kingston School of Nursing in Kingston, Jamaica. Thus began her long career as a Registered Nurse in Jamaica, the UK and the US, working at hospitals including Bustamante Children’s Hospital and Black River Hospital in Jamaica, The Lanarkshire School of Midwifery in the UK, and Phelps Hospital and Montefiore Medical Center in New York. As a nurse for nearly 50 years, she gave her best to all her patients, and mentored many young nurses. She was also a proud union member and an active delegate, and advocated relentlessly for better working conditions and benefits for nurses, and improved patient care.
On December 11, 1976, Mercel married her best friend Charles (de Gaulle) at Mandeville Parish Church. He was and will always be the love of her life! Their first child, Ramón, was born the next year, followed by their daughter, Camele-Ann, a few years later. Mercel was a loving wife, mother and friend. She enjoyed traveling, tending to her garden, journaling, reading mysteries, and doing crossword puzzles. Her favorite places were Jamaica, South Carolina and Belize, and she loved to be by the sea. She delighted in the wonder of the moon and the stars on a clear night, and even witnessed the planetary alignment earlier this year! Mercel treasured spending time with her family, especially talking and laughing with her loving husband, Charles. She was immensely proud of her children and loved them both dearly.
Mercel was an active member of St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church, and faithfully prayed, read her Bible and mediated every morning. She always believed in the goodness of the human spirit, and never wavered to help others. Mercel was extremely thankful to God for His love, guidance, blessings and faithfulness to her and her family, the life she lived and enjoyed, and His special blessings to her husband and children. God is great!
Mercel is survived by her beloved husband of 45+ years (and best friend of 54+ years), Charles; her precious son, Ramón; her cherished daughter, Camele-Ann; siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins and numerous dear friends and loved ones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ATTENTION: During the continuing COVID-19 crisis, as we slowly phase back into smaller capacity public visitations/services, we need your help in limiting and controlling the number of people, so please govern yourself accordingly for the health & safety of all. Thank you so kindly!
A Funeral Service will be held on Sat., Oct. 22nd, 11:00AM at St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church with limited capacity. So you may come to the church to try to attend, with your masks on. At the very least you can get hand sanitizer & sign the register book (NOTE: please feel free to bring your own pen). If not at capacity, you will be allowed in to have a seat; but if at capacity by the time you get there, you may be required to leave the premises after signing register book, so as not to be in violation nor cause a health hazard, so please govern yourself accordingly. Regardless of if you're able to enter/be seated, or not, please refrain from touching/hugging/handshaking, ONLY elbow bumping briefly if at all. If instructed, PLEASE KINDLY RESPECTFULLY leave the building & premises if the church is at their capacity. PLEASE KINDLY RESPECTFULLY follow & abide by the directions of the funeral home staff and/or church or cemetery personnel at all times. We Thank You in advance for following directions & policies, so as to make all go smoothly the day of the services, to eliminate further burden on the family, and to maintain the health & safety of All. Any questions, or if any clarity is needed, please call ahead to the funeral home and/or church, and/or speak to us from a safe distance if present.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Entire Staff of Lee's Funeral Home, LLC respects that the family of Mercel White entrusted the care of their loved one to us, and that they value the level of service & attention our funeral home provides. We are honored, in turn, to provide comfort, assistance and service to the White family during their time of bereavement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please leave written condolences now herein on the Memory Wall to express your sorrow, share your memories, and as an expression of sympathy & way to communicate with/offer comfort to the family, that they and others may see, and may be a lasting tribute in her honor, whether you're able to attend or not. Definitely Please SIGN IN on the Memory Wall as a virtual way of signing the register book, especially if choosing to stay safe/not able to sign in person.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You MUST come to the church & cemetery wearing a mask, & wear a mask inside the church, and social distance as much as possible at all times. If you know you have a coronovirus/COVID-19; are sick/experiencing symptoms of coronovirus/COVID-19; are immuno-compromised and/or have health/other conditions that make your body more susceptible to illness, please do NOT attend any services nor come to either facility. Please feel free to bring & use your own pen for signing the family's register book - you are encouraged to please BRING & use your own PEN for signing. Please follow & abide by the rules of the church & cemetery, and directions of the funeral home staff, church and/or cemetery personnel at all times. We Thank You in advance for following directions & any policies, so as to make all go smoothly the day of the services, to eliminate further burden on the family, and to maintain the health & safety of All. Any questions, or if any clarity is needed, please call ahead to the church and/or funeral home, and/or speak to us from a safe distance if present.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In Lieu of flowers, the family kindly appreciates contributions be made in her name/memory/honor to the Cancer Support Team (may be done on your own at https://cancersupportteam.org/donate/ or also simply through the donation tab/link here in website at the bottom of this page), and/or St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church (see church information under Service Details, and/or to church via Zelle - SaintJosephofArimathea@gmail.com). As a lasting tribute, you may also choose to plant a tree, and/or a contribution may be made in her name/memory/honor as indicated above. If sending flowers despite family's request, they may be delivered either on Fri. Oct. 21st, 2022 by/before 6:00PM to Lee's Funeral Home, and/or on Sat., Oct. 22nd by/before 10:45am to St. Joseph of Arimathea Episcopal Church. The Family Thanks You!