Marie-Therese Mbelu

Maman Marie-Thérèse Mbelu, after a battle with heart failure for 104 days at the Wake Medical Center Raleigh Campus in Raleigh, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Thursday April 16, 2020, 2 months short of her 84th birthday. Born in Mueka, Kasaï in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),on June 13, 1936, Maman Marie-Thérèse was the second of seven daughters born to Godelieve Ngomba and Bonaventure Kabasela, then a self-employed carpenter. She was raised in several towns of the Kasaï province, including the town of Kabeya Kamwanga, her father’s place of origin, Mbuji-Mayi (then Bakwanga) the diamond mining center, and Dekese where she met and married her late husband Clément Prosper Lupumba, with whom they eventually settled in Kinshasa, the DRC capital since 1965. Together they had twelve children, and traveled throughout the DRC, and to many countries in Africa, Europe, as well as the United States of America, either for his work, leisure or family visits. Maman Marie-Thérèse was a very cheerful and loving person. She was very devoted to her family that she dearly cherished and cared for, and the loving mother to Venance Lupumba, Godelieve Musungayi, Alphonse (Cintré) Lupumba, Jeanne Lupumba-Nzongola, Robertine Lupumba, Augustine Lupumba, Louis-Marie Lupumba, Noël Lupumba, Denise Lupumba, Domitille Lupumba Makombo, Charlotte (Mbiya) Lupumba Omombo and Nanou Lupumba Lusamba. She was the sweet mother in law to Claudine Mujinga Tshibuyi, Richard Musungayi, Bébé Eseka Bindo, Georges Nzongola, Robert Nsayi clerebeaut, Euloge Makombo, Bibiane Ewale, Clotilde Mosha, Louis Omombo, and José Arthur Ilunga (Ilo). Maman Marie-Thérèse came for the fourth time to the United States from the DRC in 2017, over a year after she lost her husband of 65 years and became a permanent resident. She resided in the town of Cary where she attended Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, but she always wished to go back to rest in the DRC. She is preceded in death by her sons Venance and Alphonse, sons-in-law Robert Clerebaut Nsayi and Richard Musungayi, and daughters Robertine and Godelieve. The passing of the latest on November 22, 2019 led to a broken heart syndrome that caused Maman Marie-Thérèse heart failure and hospitalization on January 4, 2020. She is survived by eight children, forty five grand-children including Kalala Tshimanga, Sarah Clerebaut Babala, Natu Makombo, Lola Makombo and Ralph Makombo, just to name the ones present in the US, who used to call her ‘Koko la fille’, ‘Kaku’, ‘Shakena’, grandma or grand-mère; thirty-seven great grand-children that she used to call “tun kanununa tuanyi”, of which Clarissa, Anaël and Costa in the US. She just missed, by one month, the birth of her first great great grandson born in Edmonton, Canada. She is also survived by her older sister, two younger sisters and numerous nephews and nieces. Maman Marie-Thérèse was the “Matriarch” who was always up to the task, so giving and hospitable that she raised far more than her own twelve children. She took care of her younger sisters, brothers and sisters in-law, many nieces and nephews.She was therefore “Maman” to a multitude hence the nickname of ‘MUA BITABU’ translated as the mother of many children. Because she feared God, she welcomed everybody without discrimination and brought comfort to many, whenever needed. She was so generous that even with the little she had in her old age, she was still helping her sisters and some nieces and nephews. Despite her enormous responsibilities as a homemaker of a large family,Maman Marie-Thérèse used to manage some small business activities as an entrepreneur in various areas of the food industry. She was always admired as a gracious mother, and wife to her husband be it in diplomatic or government functions, among other duties as first lady of the cities of Lubumbashi and Likasi in the copper province of Katanga for many years when her was the mayor there, and a mentor to a lot of women. The prestige she sometimes had in society never altered her fairness, as she treated everyone with dignity and respect. In spite of her lack of higher education, she was so passionate about the politics that she could analyze and discuss political events with great wisdom for hours. Maman Marie-Thérèse was such a strong woman, physically independent and self-caring. She was able to prepare meals until the day before her fall and illness on January 4. She was a great cook too. Her smile, her soothing voice, her kindness and her love helped to keep the family together. We miss her and her words of wisdom as a strong believer and devoted Christian. Her daily words to her children were “love God and love one another for there is no greater value than LOVE, and forgiveness”. Due to her wish to be buried next to her husband, and due to current circumstances of closed borders, the family will hold a memorial service in the upcoming weeks to honor and remember her before she can be transported to her last earthly home in Kinshasa. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11AM Saturday, August 1, 2020 at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Cary, 804 High House Rd. - Cary, NC, 27513. A visitation time will be held from 1-3PM following the Mass at Wake Memorial Park Mausoleum, 7002 Green Hope School Rd - Cary, NC, 27519. The funeral mass will be streamed live at 11am at www.livestream.com/stmichaelcary. The visitation can be viewed on Facebook page Wake Funeral and Cremation Services, Inc. A PERSONAL PROTECTION FACE COVERING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE REQUIRED AT BOTH EVENTS. PLEASE COME PREPARED IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the family to buy them in Kinshasa, for her memorial and funeral at the Necropole cemetery there. Thank you for your support, kind words and wishes. You may also post them in this Tribute Wall. May God bless you.

Marie-Therese Mbelu

June 13, 1936 - April 16, 2020