Tributes

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم انا لله وانا اليه راجعون In the name of God, the merciful the compassionate To God, we belong and to Him, we return It is with submission to God's will, notwithstanding our sincere sorrow, We announce the passing of Afife Hussein El-Awar After a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease, Afife Elawar passed away peacefully on January 9, surrounded by her loving family. Afife was born on February 10, 1937, to Lamees and Hussein, and raised by her devoted aunt Sharife, after the passing of her mother 5th months after her birth, and her father when she was 5 years old. Afife was preceded in death by her husband Hussein, and her three older siblings, brother Mahmoud and sisters Jamal and Latifi. Afife is survived by a very large adoring family, including four children, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, eight grandchildren, three grand daughters-in-law, five great-grandchildren, one niece, two great nephews, and many others who claim her and her love. The family will receive friends on Saturday, January 14, 2023, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM followed by a funeral service at 6:00 PM at the Robison-Bahnmiller Funeral Home 301 East Michigan Ave. Saline, MI 48176. Interment and prayers will take place on Monday, January 16, 2023, at 11:00 AM on the grounds of United Memorial Cemetery 4800 Curtis Road Plymouth, MI 48170. The family will be accepting condolences by phone Daughter Najwa and husband Fawzi Sabra, Henderson, Nevada (702) 807-9995 Son Nizar and wife Neddou Sabra El-Awar, Ann Arbor, Michigan (734) 260-5859 Daughter Nada, Saline, Michigan (734) 657-3907 Son Majed and wife Amal AboulHosn, Ann Arbor, Michigan (734) 260-5860 Grandson Rahmzi Sabra, Tampa, Florida (865) 202-9135 Grandson Mazin Sabra, San Diego, California (760) 419-4029 Grandson Raja Sabra, Mountain View, California (408) 772-0209 Grandson Maher El-Awar, Ann Arbor, Michigan (734) 330-0662 Grandson Nader El-Awar, Ann Arbor, Michigan (734) 657-6085 Grandson Walid Aldeeb, Ann Arbor, Michigan (734) 224-8844 Niece Omayma Al-Awar, Washington DC (202) 359-1443 Younger grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Kareem & Munya Elawar; Alya, Amir, & Layla Sabra; Layla & Chadi Aldeeb Afife grew up in Qornayel, Lebanon. She was a beautiful girl, full of life and energy. In 1954, she married Hussein Elawar, a teacher in the local school district. Hussein took great pride in his young bride and often bragged that he married “the most beautiful girl in Qornayel.” They were soon blessed with three of their children, Najwa, Nizar and Nada, before moving to Morocco in 1958. Hussein was a member of the Lebanese Government Education Assistant team that was sent to Morocco soon after the country’s independence from France. They spent four memorable years in Morocco and would often reminisce about the wonderful times they had, and the gracious hospitality of the Moroccan people. They visited many beautiful places and historic sites in Morocco and Spain before returning to Lebanon in 1962. Their family had grown while in Morocco with the addition of their youngest son Majed. In 1964, the family moved from their mountain town to the capital Beirut, as they sought better schools for their children. Like most Lebanese families, they spent their summers and most weekends in their beloved mountain villages. And in 1989, Afife, Hussein and their daughter Nada joined their sons Nizar and Majed in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They became US citizens in 1996. Hussein and Afife were inseparable. He always complemented her beauty and kindness and she always cared to the last detail for his comfort. Hussein passed away in December 2015 and Afife’s Alzheimer’s Disease manifested itself soon after losing her lifetime partner. Afife was a remarkably unique human being with unconditional love and care for family and friends. Numerous relatives relied on her support for key medical visits, and ultimately, because of her unconditional love, she became a caregiver for many elders from the extended family. Afife discretely helped many elders in her hometown with periodic cash and frequent food and medicine supplies. She was a good listener and confidante to many lady friends and family members who often sought her sound advice. Afife was a very hard worker with extraordinary energy. Household obligations for Afife were taken to an extreme. She continuously worked to maintain a spotlessly clean home. Late August and early September of every year, she turned her summer home into a food factory, making various jams from fruit trees in her garden, including figs, apples, and pears, mulberry syrup, kishk (a powder of dairy and wheat for winter soup), and dihn (meat preserve). She was a great cook, known for her Moroccan dishes, bite size kebbe balls, various types of apple-based deserts and jams, and always enjoyed trying new recipes. Afife’s splendid table was always shared with family and friends. She pushed hard to overfeed anyone that sat at her table but took extreme care of what she ate to always stay fit and healthy. And to stay fit, she exercised daily. She also enjoyed hiking the pine forest of Qornayel and the parks of Ann Arbor in later years. Afife also loved music, particularly songs of Fareed Alatrash, Fairuz and Asmahan, and was known for her beautifully knitted sweaters and sewn clothes from Burda patterns. Afife was extremely resourceful in managing the household with very limited financial means, enabling the family in the 60’s to own a car, rent an apartment in Beirut, and attend private schools. Her home and family responsibilities did not hinder her from maintaining a trendy style for her and her family, through resourceful sewing, knitting, and accessorizing of clothes. She received the attention of many, and her family was very proud of her ability to provide them so much within their means. In the US Afife and Hussein enjoyed traveling to many states, visiting friends and family as well as enjoying national parks across the US and northern Michigan in particular. Some of the most memorable times in Ann Arbor was spent with Afife’s late sister and brother-in-law, Latifi and Sleiman, partaking in many social activities, including adult education classes. They also at times helped Nizar in his businesses. Nothing was more enjoyable to them though, than spending time with their grandchildren in Ann Arbor, and on trips they made with Najwa and Fawzi and children on their visits from Saudi Arabia. Afife had a very tender heart and was loved by many. She had a soft spot for babies, which was apparent in her relationship with her grandchildren. She was extremely devoted to helping with her grandson Walid for the first 5 years of his life in Lebanon and was present at the birth of her grandchildren Maher and Nader in Michigan. She also took part in their upbringing and was a big help to them during school and after school activities, picking up and delivering food, and taking them to their hockey and swimming practices daily. She was also always prepared with an excess of food when Najwa’s children visited Ann Arbor from boarding school, and while attending college in Ann Arbor. She was also overjoyed with the birth of Majed’s children later in her life. Afife loved driving. She took up the activity in the early nineteen sixties and mastered it over time. She also loved speed and was rarely seen outside the left passing lane as she sailed down the highways. She effortlessly navigated downtown Beirut, better than any taxi driver. She was one of the first women drivers in Qornayel. While Afife had a passion for driving cars, Hussein’s fantasy was to buy a motorcycle with a sidecar to travel the world with her. His fantasy did not materialize, but was replaced by planes, cars, buses, boats, and trains where they ended up traveling to many cities in the United States, Canada, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Morocco, Spain, and Syria. Damascus, Syria was particularly special to them as it was where they spent their honeymoon. We are now certain that they are together again roaming heaven and making new memories. We are eternally grateful for the time we had to spend with our beloved Afife and will always remember her love and compassion, her smile, her laugh, and of course the unforgettable ways she brought family and friends together. Her spirit lives on in all the lives she eternally touched. We thank all of those that sent their love and helped during the final phase of Afife’s life. We would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Huron Valley Pace, Linden Square Assisted Living Center, and ProMedica Hospice Comfort Care. In lieu of flowers, you may donate to: Alzheimer’s Association - Michigan Chapter - 25200 Telegraph Rd., STE 100 - Southfield, MI 48033-7443 or online at: alz.org/gmc The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed by visiting https://www.youtube.com/@rbfhsaline

Tributes

Afife H. El-Awar

February 10, 1937 - January 9, 2023