Mr. Ferdie Germain

Obituary & Family Letter for Mr. Ferdie Germain A. OBITUARY Ferdie Joseph Germain entered the gates of heaven peacefully on Dec 15, 2023. He was surrounded by family at the time of his death. If a picture paints a thousand words, the life and legacy of Ferdie Joseph Germain painted ten thousand words over and over and over again. Ferdie was a native of the island of Dominica, the nature isle of the Caribbean, where he established a productive and very successful life. He sacrificially immigrated to the US to help ensure more opportunities and a better life for his family. On August 29, 1962, Ferdie married a beautiful French woman and the love of his life, Bertille Edmond Benoit. He gave her a house from which she created a home. Together they cultivated a life of sacrifice and love for their family. They collected a host of friends and adopted family members along the way. Sundays always brought friends to their home for lunch. That was on top of the many folks who would spend time at their home either for school, work or just to be with their family. Ferdie was selfless and loved helping others. The result of his huge heart, according to his children, is that he was sarcastically named “Best I Walk.” That was because a 10-minute car trip could take an hour due to all the “hi’s” and “hello’s” he gave and received from passersby as they drove. Ferdie worked with the Dominica Public Works where he led teams to cut and develop roads into the innermost and most inaccessible regions of the island. He was a grandmaster caterpillar operator. Ferdie was called many times to get these machines out of difficult situations such as being stuck on a hillside in the rich mud of the rainforest. Following the Category 4 hurricane David which devasted his island in 1979, Ferdie took his family to Guadeloupe for safety. However, he returned to Dominica to lead a team of 300 individuals to help rebuild roads. His career was filled with resilience, determination, and grit after making the sacrificial move to the US. His early start in the US involved sacrifices such as choosing to work two jobs; his main job with the government and a side job with a fast-food restaurant. Being as resourceful as he was, he charmed his way into the difficult-to-enter construction union in Miami in the 1980’s. The work was so physically taxing compared to his work in Dominica that his family would have to massage his hands, feet, and back at the end of the day. He finally joined the Dade County FL school board where he retired in the spring of 2001 before moving to Atlanta, GA. Ferdie lived life boldly and cherished every moment. In his words, he was always “copasetic” meaning he was fine. He worked hard and played harder. He was a passionate political enthusiast and was known for his active participation in Dominican politics before coming to the US. He was a great cook and loved to eat. Some of his most loved dishes were island delicacies like Souse, Broth, and Rice with Pigeon Peas. Ferdie had an amazing voice and could be found randomly serenading his wife with that special voice. What Ferdie was best known for, however, was his kind, caring, and loving spirit who never met a stranger. His genuine and authentic soul treated everyone fairly regardless of the person’s status. He was selfless and a giver at heart. An example of Ferdie’s huge heart was that one night in Dominica, he ran into a drunk Swedish gentleman, named Carl, who could not remember his hotel. Ferdie took Carl to his house and took such good care of him that when Carl got sober, he asked to rent a room in their home. They became life-long friends. Ferdie was also known for his jokes, pranks, and amazing sense of humor. As he would say, “All my daughters are girls, and all my boys are sons.” His family knew early on to guard their choice last bite on their plates. That’s because Ferdie would distract you so that he can grab that piece you saved for last because you enjoyed it so much. He would often share a joke about his friend who went to England and tried to show how smart he was. The friend would approach his horse handler and say to him, “You male domestic biped, apprehend my quadruped, stable him, and provide him with a sufficient supply of nutritious elements, and when the sun is baborialis, you will be highly recompensed.” That simply meant would you place my horse in a stable and feed it dinner at sunset? Yes. Ferdie had a joke for just about any occasion. He impacted many lives across multiple countries starting with his family who experienced first-hand the love, strength, passion, and commitment of a man, a husband, a dad and a brother. Ferdie accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior later in life. However, he was always involved in The Lord’s business. He helped and supported every pastor of his church, the People’s Pentecostal Church in Dominica. He was well-known and loved by all the members. That spirit continued in the US. Daddy Germain, as he was affectionately called, became a deacon of New Bethel International Ministries in Atlanta, GA where he served diligently. Ferdie was involved in the transportation ministry, the building committee, and the food bank. His involvement in the food bank resulted in its significant expansion over many years. He never missed an assignment. If he could not do it, he’d use his resourcefulness to find someone who would. This also meant that for anyone who was missing a key or could not get through a locked door at the church, Daddy Germain always had a key. Everyone felt connected to him at the church because he made everyone feel important and significant. Ferdie was preceded in death by his parents, William and Cecilia Germain, siblings Vernon Germain, Rudolph Germain, and Roland Germain, and son Alexis Germain. Central to his core values was the love of family. Those who will be most profoundly deprived of Ferdie’s energizing personality, the strength of his character, and never-ending love include his wife, Bertille Germain, Children Alain Germain, Brenda Emerson, Catherine Germain, Franklin Germain, Johnson Germain, Joseph Germain, Kennedy Germain, Kenneth Germain, Lincoln Germain, and Marcus Germain; sister Althea Germain; brothers Egbert Germain, and Randy Germain. His legacy of love includes 21 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and an army of amazingly loving family and friends. Ferdie’s life exemplified a legacy of love, laughter, faith, and family. Though we grieve his passing, we are comforted knowing he is in heaven and will meet again. B. FAMILY LETTER Ferdie led a selfless life as a soldier in the army of Christ devoting many hours to helping the local church ministry. Over the last decade, he directed that passion to the foodbank significantly increasing its reach to support the poor and needy. As a result, it is important to Ferdie that his legacy of reaching the less fortunate continues. Therefore, in lieu of flowers, he would prefer donations be made to the Bridge of Hope Community Outreach Inc. A 501(c) (3) Charity, in support of the outreach being done by his church, New Bethel International Ministries. Ways To send your tax-exempt donations: PayPal @bridgeofhope1025 Email: bridgeofhopecommunityoutreach@gmail.com Cash App $1025Bridgeofhope Email: bridgeofhopecommunityoutreach@gmail.com Corporate lockbox for donations Bridge of Hope Community Outreach Inc., 2686 Springdale Rd, Snellville GA 30039 Celebration of Life Services for Ferdie Germain will be held on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 11:00 AM. These services will be recorded and streamed live. If the event is interrupted at any time due to technical issues, the entire event will be uploaded and available to view later in the day. Please copy and paste the link to share, or simply click on the link to view the event. https://vimeo.com/event/3993436

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Mr. Ferdie Germain

February 3, 1939 - December 15, 2023