Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche

Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche
Joseph (seated right) and his family,
prior to their voyage on the Titanic
Born
Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche

(1886-05-26)26 May 1886
Cap-Haïtien, Haiti
Died15 April 1912(1912-04-15) (aged 25)
Atlantic Ocean
OccupationEngineer

Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche (26 May 1886 – 15 April 1912) was a Haitian engineer. He was one of only three passengers of known Haitian ancestry (the other two being his children) on the ill-fated voyage of RMS Titanic.[1][2][3]

He put his pregnant French wife and their two daughters onto a lifeboat; they survived, but he did not.[1] Joseph's daughter, Louise Laroche (2 July 1910 – 28 January 1998) was one of the last remaining survivors of the sinking of RMS Titanic.

LaRoche, a three-act opera by Atlanta composer Sharon J. Willis, is based on his life and was part of the 2003 National Black Arts Festival, premiering at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center on July 18 of that year.[4][5]

  1. ^ a b Hughes, Zondra (June 2000). "What Happened To The Only Black Family On The TITANIC". Ebony magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-01-23.
  2. ^ "Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche" (2014) Encyclopedia Titanica (ref: #486, accessed 1 March 2014)
  3. ^ Kent, W. Mae (17 September 2009). "Laroche, Joseph Phillipe Lemercier (1889-1912)". BlackPast.org. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference CL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ LaRoche. Atlanta magazine. July 2003. Retrieved February 18, 2003. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)