The wife of a business man who was well known in Dominica passed away on Saturday at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH).
Anita Karam was 88 at the time of her death.
She was married to businessman George ‘Jojo’ Karam, who was known for his motorcar business on the island.
Karam, nee La Roche, was born on December 12, 1925 in Gaudeloupe but has been ailing for some time.
Johnny Karam, one of her children, told Dominica News Online that the elder Karam died of a severe stroke of the brains “which made her bleed and gasp for breath.”
“She went into a deep coma from Monday, January 20 to Saturday, January 25 at 12:55 pm when she gave her last breath,” he said. “Mom never woke up from her coma in as much as the ICU ward at the PMH did all their best to take care of her.”
Karam had 13 children however two, who were twins, died at birth. Her eldest daughter, Kathleen Karam, died on Monday, February 20 2012 in Guadeloupe of cancer at 65.
Johnny Karam said funeral arrangements will be made later this week.
The Karams are a Lebanese family who migrated to Dominica from the Middle East via the French Territories at the end of the 19th century, Dr. Lennox Honychurch, said on his website. They were among the first of many Lebanese traders to settle in Dominica.
He said they were known to do business in dry goods but Dominican born members of the family branch into other services.
Among the first to do so was George ‘Jojo’ Karam who began a motorcar sales and repair business in the 1950’s.
The Karam Family last year received the nation’s second highest award, the Sisserou Award, for their contribution to business and tourism in Dominica.
Ma Karam I as I knew her…may her soul rest in peace. Cork Street took a hit this month but we will recover.
Wow. What happen to plain old sympathies. Who cares what her ethnic background is. Does it matter if she was lebanese, vietnamese or persian? would it have made a difference in the life she has led. first and foremost,she was a person, a mother and a contributor to Dominica economy. Unfortunately even illiterates owns a computer
condolences to the karam family .I worked with them at coconut beach they were good to me.
condolences to the karam family I worked with
them at coconut beach they were good to me
May Her Soul Rest In Peace. My Sympathies to the Karam family.
She has gone ahead of all of us. One day soon, all us will follow when our time has come. The Lord has promise us 6 scores plus 10.
Therefore, for many of us, it is just a matter of time. The Lord givesth, the Lord takest. Live as if today is your last day on earth. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone of us.
Correction, the Lord has promised us 3 scores plus 10
90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
@ Too much oh toomatoe. Is you that giving the eulogy?
The family was well respected on the Island. Hey! it’s not “motorcar business!” but rather, Car Dealership business. So they came to Dominica “via the french territories?” you mean “back door?”
Remember Dominica was once a French island/ colony. This may have accounted for them coming via the French territories. They may have gone to another French island and decided to come to D/ca. They did well in D/ca.
My Condolences to thr entire fsmily. Thank GOd that you live in Dominica
is now deaba start for land and money
My deepest condolences to the entire family. May Mrs. Karam’s soul rest in eternal peace.
My condolences to the family, it does not matter where they came from, they are the Karams from Cork Street, and great contributors to Dominica landscape.
We all came from somewhere before. Stop the nonsense.
My deepest condolences to the family , she was really a nice lady ,God bless her heart . I used to live just 2 houses from her.
Please
She was a lovely lady! RIP Mrs. Karam. Condolences to Tammy and the rest of her family.
To my Class mate;Jackie Karam,and the rest of the Karam Family,cherrish the lovely memories of your MOM,and take strengh in the lessons she taught you,she will be missed,but never forgotten by all of you.God Bless Her.and may she R I P.
The hospital comment is quite inappropriate here. Nonetheless, a good hospital requires constant and substantial funding.
The hospital should, if it does not already, have an annual(massive)fundraiser that leverages the entire dominican diaspora and other medical institutions worldwide.
May your soul rest in peace Mrs Karam.
My condolences to the entire Karam family. They are very nice people to me.Kathleen was my very good friend. Jackie and Paul treated me very nice when I used to go to their automotive shop in Dominica. Georgie also treats me very well when I go to Japs Auto in NY. Peace and strength to the entire family.
God is in control; she was a good mother and will be missed but this is a debt that we all have to pay; however when the time comes its always difficult for the surviving family members.
On behalf of My Entire Family THE KARAMS(WE ARE LEBANESE NOT SYRANS THANKS)OF KARAM’S ACME GARAGE CORK STREET, WE WISH TO THANK EACH AND EVRY ONE OF U, SO FAR FOR YOUR COMFORT AND WORDS; MORE TO COME UNTIL THE BIG DAY WHEN THE COFFIN GOES 6FT DOWN BLAMMMM. WE MUST ALL PASS THIS WAY WITHOUT COLLECTING OR PASSING GO BLESSINGS TO ALL FAR AND NEAR
DJ JOKAM AKA JOHNNY KARAM
Dear Jokam and family,
May the soul of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen!
Though her earthly journey has ended, her spiritual journey has just begone…
Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory…
Eternal Father, I offer you the most Precious Blood of your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen!
Peace and love Jokam.. (your sister, NE)
(at the reciting of the prayer, a thousand souls are released… pray this prayer for them… )
I received the news of the passing of your loved one on Saturday. The first thing I said: “May her soul rest in peace. Amen!” I remember her in my prayers and will continue to do so.
This weekend in Toronto was a sad one in that I heard of two other D/cans passing, one in the US and one in Toronto. There was also another one earlier in the week; a prominent D/can who resided elsewhere. Well, that is life as you agree.
It does not matter at what age your loved one was when she passed on. What matters she is a child of God, was a lady, a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, relative, a friend who fulfilled her duties in life perfectly. There is no doubt she passed the test. The Lord has taken her to her eternal reward and rest. I visualize how much she will be missed.
Your faith and strength in God shows.
My heartfelt sympathy to each one of you, her family.
As the Catholic saying: I shall pass through this world but once. If therefore, there be any good thing I can do, or any kindness I can show to any fellow-creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer it nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
God bless you and your family as you mourn the loss of your dearly beloved. She is gone but will always be with you in spirit, in the beloved Dominica she lived in and loved for many years. She is now at peace and rest! God bless her soul!
Karan family my condolences to you all I remember her when I was small her nd my grand mother were best of friends Cork Street neighbors for sure..May she rest in peace :-(
While I agree that we do need upgraded medical facilities which I mentioned in the past,now is not the time to critize what we have. By the way the matriarch was 88 years old which is well above the average life span for DA. The lady appeared to have lived a good life. May she rest in peace.
My condolences to the Karam family. May her sweet soul rest in perfect peace. God bless.
Very sweet lady and my sympathy to the entire Karam family. Going to PMH is never good news and worse when one has the situation that she experienced. Maybe if she was a government minister like Savarin and Timothy they would fly her to Martinique but too bad she is not. That’s why $27 27 million on a state house makes no sense when the nations #1 hospital is as good as a funeral home
understand about insurance before you make such comments. jeez
If my Cork street memory serves me right Mrs. Karam has family in the French islands if they wanted ma Karam could b flown out. Why everything has to be turned into politics. Rest in peace you will be missed by your Cork Street neighbors
Please think of what you type prior to submitting. Will you fly out someone who is bleeding in the brain? At the time of her stroke and the effect of it, she could not have been flown out but if it was her time to go then there is nothing ‘man’ can do. The family is very close to me and she will be missed GREATLY by her loved ones. She was a fighter indeed. She is with her husband, her daughter and grandson among other relatives now. May she Rest In Eternal Peace.
@Family ties, that’s exactly what I am saying. I was not suggesting flying her out because I know about brain hemorrhage and I agree she lived a long happy life. My concern is just what you are raising. I am not just referring to Mrs Karram who died at 88 and who also had the means to be flown abroad if necessary. I am referring to my poor family members, poor friends, and poor fellow citizens who do not have the means to fly out for less life threatening problems and instead of our elected government giving priority to our basic medical needs, they chose to spend $27 million on a state palace that less than 25% of us will ever visit. That’s my problem and I wish DNO would put out my clarification. I don’t directly blame Skerrit for her death but I blame him for not putting facilities in place to save many lives.
Your comment is inappropriate at this time. Do you not think if the family wanted to take her there they could not do so?
Here are a few words for you which you should make a note of and pass on:
It has been said that we bring nothing into the world and we take nothing with us when we depart. But that was written of material possessions. All of us bring with us the need to love and be loved and take with us, in spirit, the knowledge of having loved and having been loved.
So I wish for the ability to remember the good things and to forget the rest, to create new memories and to be sustained by trust and hope and courage; and always, to try, to understand.
May God bless you with these graces.
This is news how?
yes it’s news. Telling you that someone died
Who are you? Are you an enemy? Who put you up to this?
Mrs. Anita Karam, along with her family are prominent Dominicans who contributed much to Dominica. I remember them. Her passing deserves due respect and recognition which she is given on this Website.
The Karams will continue to give their utmost to Dominica and who knows, even more, especially the younger generation of Karams.
What have you done for Dominica? For anyone? Expose yourself, you critic.
one love bro. Simply the Truth it is you who keep me going in my land of Birth.
Mrs Karam lived into a good age, before passing away in the body. The family’s responsibility–those who remain in the body today–is to continue in Life on her behalf.
This Life that we live on behalf of our loved ones, who have passed away in the body, is the Life of the Spirit, the Light in Love, as they sleeps in their grave until the resurrection of Jesus Christ–He who gives Life to His people.
Then “in the sweet by and by we will meet on that beautiful shore”, waiting for the ring of the golden bell, to enter the existence in Paradise–which is the Eternal home for us, who are God’s chosen people.
Take courage all of you, the Karam family, to know the Joy and Peace of God–even in this terrible time of yours. Blessings
That is a wonderful lady… I remember as child her son had an accident his small bus hit me while I carelessly crossed the road. He stopped carried me to his vehicle and took me to the hospital with my family. While in the hospital this lady (his mother) came to see me bringing Ice Cream and flowers, and followed up with visits until I was well. She was a very kind woman.
Note what a lovely and considerate lady she was, including her son. These considerate, generous virtues and memories of them you will always treasure.
Their parents were and they are nice people. I also remember her daughter Kathleen. She, too, was a nice person.
I lived in Dominica then and I can tell you who were really nice people/Dominicans as I saw and knew them. God bless them all! God bless you!
thought she was Syrian….she lived a long life ….
Karam’s aren’t syrian. they’re Arabic.