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Alhaji Sekou Jabateh

Sunrise: September 16, 1964 | Sunset: March 22, 2015

With profound sorrow, the Jabateh, Kannah, and Harshberger Families announce the sudden homegoing of Al Jabateh, our loving and caring husband, father, son, nephew and cousin. Al Jabateh was born unto the union of Nvasaymahn Jabateh and Markular Kannah Jabateh (both predeceased him) ; and nurtured by his paternal grandparents, the late Alhaji Sekou Jabateh and the late Maseta Jabateh of Bong County , Liberia, and by his maternal grandparents, the late Moses C. Kanneh and the late Gardea Barh Kanneh of Grand Gedeh County, Liberia. He was groomed by his paternal uncle, the late Amara Sekou Jabateh, owner/operator of Telema Fishing Company; and maternal uncle, Hon. Seward Kannah Boons, former Counsul General of Liberia in New York.

Al Jabateh completed Randolph High School in Randolph, New Jersey, and matriculated to William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ where he earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Computer Science (minor in Mathematics) in May 1993. In addition, Al obtained professional training in software programming from Nova-Soft in Lawrenceville, NJ and webmaster/website management at Farleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ.

Until his untimely death, Al Jabateh was the Information Technology (IT) Manager at the State of New Jersey's Essex County Surrogate Court in Newark, NJ, where he worked under the tutelage of His Honor Judge Theodore N. Stephens, II, Surrogate (Al's "big brother and life-time mentor"). Previously, he worked (1995 to 2007) as Software Developer, Tester, Support Specialist, and Help Desk Technician for the United Parcel Service (UPS) based in Morristown and Mahwah, NJ.

Al Jabateh operated a few entertainment and consulting enterprises, most notably the Jashasm Enterprise System (JES), a professional services consulting firm specializing in operating systems and programming language. He consulted as a software developer/network administrator at Jefferson Park Pre-School (2009-2011), Memorial Day Nursery (2008-2009), TrilunarSoft, Inc. (2007), and Adecco Engineering & Technical Services (2007), among others.

Al Jabateh was a true community organizer and passionate bridge builder between the Liberian and the African-American Communities. He was an active member of the "Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.", a major black college fraternity. Until his passing, he was the Treasurer of the Liberian Community Association of North Jersey (LCANJ), under the leadership of President Emmett G. Trinity, Jr. For an interim period, he served as a member of the National Administration of the Invincible Eleven and Majestic Sports Association in the Americas.

Al Jabateh leaves to mourn his wife, Sonia Harshberger Jabateh; three (3) children: Al Shabazz Jabateh, Seward Amani Jabateh, and Julia Makia Jabateh; eight (8) brothers: Phamollie Sekou Jabateh, Karmon Sekou Jabateh, Kalifala Jabateh, Yusufu Jabateh, Balamah Jabateh, Hilary Tudee, Grodey Tudee, and Ojuku Tudee; eight (8) sisters: Marseta Jabateh, Amie Jabateh, Fatumata Jabateh, Mayama Jabateh, Bahla Jabateh, Manasefay Jabateh, Annette Tudee, and Julee Tudee; three (3) stepmothers: Fatumatta Cece Jabateh of Pennsylvania, Makia Jabateh of Minnesota, and Manogbeh Jabateh of Gbarnga, Liberia; and many uncles, aunties, nephews, nieces, cousins, step-brothers and sisters, associates, and friends. Two of his siblings, Brother Morris Tudee and Sister Ajah Jabateh, predeceased him.