Velia (Merveille) Dume

Mrs. Velia Dume (Merveille) gained her heavenly wings in the arms of the Lord on Wednesday, April 1st, 2026.

We respectfully request that no one arrive at the funeral home prior to the posted visitation times, so as not to intrude on the family’s private time. 

Family and friends are invited to the visitation in the Kowalski Funeral Home, 515 Roselle Street, Linden, NJ, 07036, on Saturday, April 18th from 9:00AM to 12:00PM. A prayer service and sharing of memories will be held during the visitation timeframe. Interment will follow at Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, NJ at approximately 12:20PM, where prayers of committal and final goodbyes will take place.

Velia was born on March 15, 1960 in Miragoane, Haiti to parents Adilo and Leone Merveille. She was one of nine children, and from a  young age, she learned the value that family means everything. Through the years she built her life around care and compassion for others, working in various positions of hospitality and housekeeping. She was always very tidy and loved to showcase a clean and neat presence. She spent some time in Aruba, working at various locations during the 80s, before moving back to Haiti for a bit, and eventually settling in the United States, where she lived in Brooklyn, NY.

Velia was known for her outstanding cooking skills. She truly loved to cook and feed those around her, and they were always thankful for her meals filled with love. Velia really loved events and parties, as a reason for getting together with her family, but also to show her hospitality to them as well. She also loved music, singing and dancing, especially at these events. She was a child of God, and would constantly keep in mind the teachings of being selfless and having a giving heart. She was baptized in the Brooklyn region of the NYC Church of Christ on July 11th, 2010. Above all else, Velia was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, and she will be missed by many.

Velia is survived by her husband of 17 years Esteve Dume, her sons: Jean M Dume and his wife Judith, Rosevelt Dume and his wife Mitchel, Renald Dume and his wife Tacora, and Sterling Dume and his wife Lorrika, her nine grandchildren: Juliana, Jamari, Cydni, Jadon, Akeem, Justen, Olivya, Taylor, and Berean, her sister Sertilia, and many other nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family, and friends.

Velia’s light shines through the ones she’s loved and cared for through the years, and will continue to shine as her memory stays within their hearts and prayers forever.

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