Joseph Philippe Lemercier Laroche (May 26, 1886 β April 15, 1912) was a Haitian engineer.
He was one of only three passengers of known African ancestry on the ill-fated voyage of RMS Titanic.
He put his pregnant French wife and their two daughters onto a lifeboat; they survived, but he did not.
Joseph's daughter, Louise Laroche (2 July 1910 β 28 January 1998) was one of the last remaining survivors of the sinking of RMS Titanic.
LaRoche, a three-act opera by Atlanta composer Sharon J.
Willis, is based on his life and was part of the 2003 National Black Arts Festival, premiering at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center on July 18 of that year.