Esmay N. Facey

Esmay Nerissa Facey, 92, passed away at home on November 18, 2020. She was born in Bull Savannah, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica to the late Isaac and Elnora (Edwards) Lewis.

She was orphaned by the age of 12 and by the age of 16, purchased a sewing machine, teaching not only herself but other young women in her district how to sew and create fashionable items. Esmay later moved to Kingston where she continued sewing and then later operated a restaurant and bar, prior to emigrating to the US on January 4th, 1960, and celebrated this anniversary for her adopted country of opportunity. She became a US Citizen. She filed and helped numerous relatives immigrate to restart productive lives in the US.

She worked as an accomplished seamstress for many years at Gimbel’s New York and she will be remembered for her sense of fashion and creativity, never wearing an outfit she didn’t customize. After retiring from Gimbels, she moved to Palm Coast, Florida and in later years with family in Lincroft, and later Red Bank, New Jersey.

She was fiercely independent, cheerful, creative and loved gardening, crocheting, sewing and creating new and innovative things like the shoulder jackets. When the pandemic began, she made masks for friends and family. As the family genealogist, she would recall all the relatives now documented online. She loved going to the Red Bank Senior Center, especially on Bingo day and made friends whom she cared about always.

She is predeceased by her husband, Hector G. Facey (1973); her daughters, Ardeen (infant) and JoAnn Elliott; her grandchildren, Sandra Stephenson and Demetrius Elliott; her siblings: Viris, Hamlin, Violet Maud, Doris, Linny, Isaac II, Justin (Kermit) and Verna Lewis.

Surviving is her son, Winthrope (Duke) Rochester Sr., and her daughters Laura (Panzie) Hilton and Nancy Facey Blackwood (husband Philip); her sister, Lurline Melva Campbell and her grandchildren: Kisha, Stephen, Haley, Romain, Yanique, Yandi, Samuel, Roza, Winthrope Jr., Winston, Nikoy, numerous great and great great-grandchildren as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

She is also survived by Nadine Maude Baptiste, her caregiver who became her adopted daughter and partner in her sneaky shopping sprees.

All arrangements are private and under the direction of the John E. Day Funeral Home 85 Riverside Avenue Red Bank, NJ 07701.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Red Bank Senior Center Advisory Board, 90 Monmouth St Red Bank, NJ 07701 in honor of Esmay Facey. If you are a local gardener donations to the Red Bank Seed Library would be appreciated.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.