Assuming the lead role in the airline during its expansion phase and successful growth, he is fondly remembered by many not only for his vision for the national carrier but also for the values and vision he stood for in life.
His three daughters — Dalia, Dana and Deema — have written eulogies in his memory. Their heartfelt feelings depicts the man, the professional and the father.
* * *
I thought I had more time to laugh, more time to get to know you.
I feel as though the sun shone brighter before the angels came to lift you.
More time to hear your childhood memories, advice, and lessons of virtue.
More time to see your smile light up the hearts of those around you.
Your absence is still surreal to me, a nightmare never ending.
I feel as though I’m stuck in a dark box, the cardboard sides retracting.
Deep in thought but shallow in emotion — I’ve been avoiding the destined confrontation with my heart.
As a temporary bandage, I lift my head to the sky, and imagine that we aren’t worlds apart.
Somehow in midst of the darkness in my reality, comes a silky rain.
Droplets of water cleanse the dark and coat the emotions of pain.
I begin to imagine you are flying the airplane above, or moving with the grace of the wind.
I imagine you’ve traveled to a nearby place, and will be back again.
Through all the imaginations I tried to conjure, the truth was soon clearer to see.
The truth is that you are right within, and this truth will set me free.
It will take time. It will take tears. It will take patience and strength.
However you will always be within my heart, within my thoughts and every single breath.
God bless you my dear father, and may He rest your soul in peace.
We will laugh together once again…for now, within my dreams.
As tears gently kiss the faces of your loved ones,
We allow them to stream in honor of the life you have lived,
The souls you have touched, and the lives you have changed.
The immensity of the love people have for you is stronger than any words can explain.
You were one of the purest human beings that had to be taken away; taken away to where you belong.
In a place so clean and so beautiful; so pure and so blissful; with bright lights and smiles.
A place where you can watch over us anytime you wish.
A place where only the purest of the pure can enter.
A place called Heaven.
Although you are not physically here, you have imprinted your mark into this world, and that will live on forever.
Your legacy will live on in the hearts of all your loved ones, carried by each ever so carefully.
You taught us how to live, and you showed us how to leave; with honor, pride, and dignity.
My heart is now in a better place, because my heart is now with you.
But I will never say goodbye, I will say "see you soon".
So my Baba, see you soon.
The scorching sun,
It kissed his eyes as he stared into the sky.
Those eyes, the windows to his soul,
A soul that exudes the passion within.
Imagination flowed through the corners and cracks of his mind.
The toasted sand,
It embraced his feet like a mother comforting her child.
Though warm enough to burn, it merely ignited that passion inside of him,
Allowing his faith in the ability to fly to overpower his thoughts and dreams.
His determination, imprinted into the hearts and minds of those who crossed his path.
Like his poignant scent infused into each thread of his crisp thobe.
That thobe,
So white it embarrassed the moon as it reflected the purity of his heart.
That heart, the heart that relentlessly attached itself to that of a queen.
A queen who magnificently inspired him further with her beautiful soul.
The two souls, intertwined
Intertwined as they shook the Earth with their unconditional love.
Three seeds
Each unique, though each more precious than the other.
He fed them passion and determination.
She watered them with beauty and peace.
The prosperity of these seeds astounded the world,
As they mimicked the values and beliefs of their planters.
The seeds began to blossom.
Each with the purity he bestowed upon them.
He cherished them — his queen and his three flowers.
He sheltered them, nurtured them, and protected them.
The flowers grew
They grew large enough to shelter, nurture, and protect him.
Carrying his poignant scent,
Carrying his mesmerizing eyes,
Carrying his passionate heart.
He gazed up at his flowers,
As they showered his body with rain.
The rain,
Flowing as it formed puddles of honor and pride in the crevices of his tender body.
Tears streamed down his glowing cheeks.
The tears, caught by his beloved queen as he lay his head to rest.
Pride encompassed his heart as he admired what he had created.
He smiled as he took his last breath.
A smile that made the stars look like stones.
He exhaled as he blew his legacy into the souls of his flowers.
Then he fled.
He fled to his palace in heaven,
To watch over his flowers and his queen,
Until their blessed reunion,
To forever share their inexplicable love.
