Samia M.. Ghareeb

Samia Mbadda Ghareeb was born in Aita El Foukhar, Lebanon in 1928. The daughter of Mbadda and Badawieh Ghareeb, and sister to Michael, Nabiha (+2009), Elias (+2018), Yvonne, Marie, and Annie. In 1952 she married Michael Ghareeb and they immigrated to Canada, where they lived for seventeen years. In 1969, Samia and Michael were sponsored by his uncle, Edward Ellis Sr., and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. They made a life for themselves here; Michael worked as a house painter and Samia as a lunch worker in the schools. They were faithful members of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church.

In February of 1977, Samia and Michael took in their teenage nieces Isabelle and Zeina, and their nephew Ghassan, who came from Lebanon fleeing civil war. They taught them English, how to navigate the American culture and society, and helped them attend college. Michael and Samia helped bring countless family members from Lebanon, including the aforementioned three’s siblings and mother, her sister Marie.

Michael and Samia did not have children of their own, but were a second set of parents and grandparents to all of their nieces and nephews. Michael passed in 2008, and Samia lived independently until her passing on March 6, 2019 at the age of 91. Her final hours were spent surrounded by her beloved sisters, nieces and grand nieces, nephews and grand nephews. Samia will be greatly missed by all of her family. May her Memory be Eternal!

Visitation will be Friday at the funeral home from 2-4 & 6:30-8:30 pm with a Trisagion service at 7:30pm and also at the church on Saturday from 10-11 am.  The funeral service will be on Saturday March 9th at 11:00 am at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the church.

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