Jacques Maurice Didier was born in Champagne-sur-Seine, France on June 23, 1934 to Paula (Nörsbach) Didier and Jacques Maurice Ernest Isidore Etienne Didier, known as Maurice. Jacques' mother Paula was a German educator who was teaching English in London when she met Maurice, a handsome French sailor on leave there.

Maurice and Paula soon married and returned to Maurice's hometown of Champagne-sur-Seine, located in the Seine-et-Marne region of France, near Fontainebleau. They welcomed Jacques in 1934. Jacques was born at home, as his father and grandfather had been before him, in the family home on Rue de la Gare, a property which has been in the Didier family since the 17th century.

Jacques' father Maurice returned to the French Navy shortly after Jacques' birth. When the Second World War reached France in 1940, Maurice was killed when the French naval vessel on which he served, the Meknès, was torpedoed on July 24, 1940. Although the Germans long blamed the torpedo on friendly fire from the British, Jacques and his sister Monique Didier Spencer learned much later that the Meknès was actually torpedoed by German forces. Jacques' sister Monique had been born to Paula and Maurice in March of 1940, just months before Maurice was killed.

After his father died, Jacques was raised by his paternal grandmother Hélène Didier in the family home during the war. As one of the only people in Champagne-sur-Seine who could speak both German and French at the start of the war, he was frequently called on, at the tender age of six years old, to translate communications between the occupying German forces and his fellow townspeople in Champagne. After the war Jacques was unable to speak German for many years, only picking it up again when working at Siemens in Boca Raton decades later.

Following the war Jacques lived for a time in his teens in Bordeaux, France with his mother and stepfather. It was a city he adored and he returned there as often as he could throughout his life. He returned to Champagne-sur-Seine from Bordeaux after high school, and received a degree in mechanical design from the Lycée Technique Lafayette college. After graduation Jacques worked as a mechanical designer for the electrical and engineering group Jeumont-Schneider alongside his beloved uncle, Andre Goix, for several years before emigrating to New York.

Jacques moved to New York City and joined a large French community living and working there in the early 1960s. Shortly after arriving in New York, he met the love of his life, Lorraine Jeanne Rubsam, at a party. Jacques and Lorraine were married in the Roman Catholic Church of Saint Sylvester in Brooklyn, New York in 1964.

Jacques and Lorraine lived in Queens, New York following a honeymoon tour of Europe, settling in Queens Village. They welcomed two children to their home there, daughter Jacqueline Marie Didier and son, Alain Charles Didier.

Jacques' position at his American employer the defense contractor Rel-Reeves relocated the family to Florida; Jacques headed down first in 1971. Lorraine held the fort down in New York until the entire family was able to move to the Sunshine State in 1972. Their first residence was the historic Mayfair Manor hotel in Delray Beach, and they lived in Delray until they found their dream home in Boynton Beach in 1974. Jacques and Lorraine welcomed their third child a son, Michael David Maurice Didier, shortly after they moved to Florida. During these halcyon years with Lorraine and the children, Jacques loved to take the family and northern and European visitors to airboat at Loxahatchee Park, pick citrus at Knollwood Groves, search for clams at Sebastian Inlet, see the Enquirer Christmas Tree in Lantana, and get up close to the lions at Lion Country Safari. He was a lifelong parishioner of St Vincent's Church in Delray Beach. He made it a priority to see his three children educated by the Sisters of Mercy at St. Vincent Ferrer School. He left his comfort zone when St Vincent's requested Jacques and Lorraine make in-person fundraising calls to the homes of fellow parishioners, to raise money for the school.

Jacques and Lorraine met many of their friends during these years participating in the Marriage Encounter program at St Vincent's. They entertained often, and one big tradition was to share in Jacques' French Onion Soup or cassoulet for good luck New Year's Day each year. In later years they spent many fun afternoons at the Delray Beach Club for Sunday or holiday dinners, watching their grandchildren swim and enjoying the ocean view.

Jacques worked in Palm Beach and Broward Counties for decades - mostly in the defense Industry as a mechanical designer with contractors from Rel Reeves to Siemens. As the defense field contracted, Jacques pivoted to civil service and finished his career in Dade County employed by the City of North Miami Beach as a surveyor, among other technical roles. Some of his happiest years were spent working for the City of North Miami Beach, where he made a new community of young friends and learned a host of new skills.

Jacques was blessed to welcome five grandchildren, Mary Elizabeth Didier, Annabelle Rose Didier, Maximilian Didier Scheinfeld, Thomas Spencer Scheinfeld, and Alexander Didier during this time.

Throughout his life in the United States, Jacques was a proud American citizen who also honored his French and German heritage. He attended Bastille Day celebrations throughout Florida - from the Alliance Francaise in Miami to the annual festival at the Norton Gallery in Palm Beach. Jacques and Lorraine also frequented the Oktoberfest at the American-German Club in Lantana.

Jacques brought the family to France and Germany and maintained close ties with his sister Monique and his many first cousins there.

Upon retirement Jacques and Lorraine traveled throughout Europe visiting family in France and Italy among many other places. They also loved to visit their children and grandchildren in New York and Atlanta, and never missed a birthday or graduation.

Jacques was predeceased by his parents Maurice and Paula Didier and by his sister Monique Didier Spencer. He is survived by Lorraine, his children Alain Charles Didier (Erin) of Atlanta; Jacqueline Marie Didier and Michael David Maurice Didier of New York City; and his five grandchildren.

Jacques is also survived by his brothers-in-law Donald (Martha) Rubsam and Gerard (Mary) Rubsam, and Robert Spencer; his sister-in-law Carol Greifenberger (John); and by his niece Michele Spencer the daughter of Monique. His loss will be felt by his first cousins in Europe, Marie-Hélène Goix (Bernard), of Saint-Perdoux, France; Alain Goix (Eveline) of La Monzie-Saint Martin, France; Emmanuelle Goix of Champagne-sur-Seine; Jurgen Nörsbach (Jütta) of Nieder-Olm, Germany; and many other cousins, nieces and nephews.

Jacques' family would like to take this opportunity to express its thanks to Garland Jackson and Monica Tardonia, friends of the family, who made his last couple of years pleasant and meaningful. He relished their kindness and support and they are truly angels on this earth.

Friends may call on Thursday, June 10, 2021 from 4:00PM to 6:00PM with a 5:30PM Scripture Service at the Lorne and Sons Funeral Home, 745 N.E. 6th Ave, Delray Beach, FL.  A funeral Mass will be celebrated for Jacques on Friday, June 11, 2021, 11:00AM at St. Mark's Catholic Church, 643 St. Mark Place, Boynton Beach, FL with entombment to follow at the Boynton Beach Mausoleum.