Colette Lamothe-Galette, also known as Tico, died from the novel coronavirus on April 4, 2020, at 46. She suffered from asthma and also had a bout with pneumonia in 2007.
Lamothe-Galette was born at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, New Jersey on July 6, 1974. She was the youngest of five children, including her twin, Claudette. Lamothe-Galette worked for the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) from 2004 to 2019. She rose through the ranks of the Department of Health during her 15 years with them. Lamothe-Galette started as a research scientist and lastly became the Director of the NJDOH Office of Population Health.
After her time with NJDOH, she went on to become The Nicholson Foundation’s Senior Program Officer. Lamothe-Galette was fond of Haiti’s culture, music, and dance. She was a social butterfly and cared deeply for people, especially her family. Despite her heavy work schedule, Lamothe-Galette didn’t miss any family gatherings and was forever present at her children’s many extracurricular activities, Valerie, 19, Nicolas, 17, and Jessica, 14, whom she is survived by alongside her husband, Saulus Galette.