Samira Aziz Farah

On December 9, 2025, Samira Aziz Farah passed from this earthly life surrounded by her loving family. Samira was born in Ramallah, Palestine on January 21, 1945 to the late Yousef Ziadeh Farhat and Julia Yacoub Farhat, where she spent most of her young adult life until her immigration to the United States with her husband, Aziz Hanna Elias Farah and her infant daughter. It was in Jacksonville, Florida that they built a life and a family.

To know Samira, was to know joy. That’s who she was. She exuded mirth and merriment like the sun exudes warmth. Samira was known for her sense of humor, her infectious laugh, and her motherly love. Her greatest joy was her children, grandchildren, and great grandchild, but her love did not end there. She was dedicated to her family, her faith, and her community through her volunteer efforts in her church, St. George Orthodox Church, and The Ramallah American Club of Jacksonville. She was a business owner, a caterer, and a giver. She not only gave back through her volunteer efforts, but through her passion for crochet. Samira made blankets and scarves for almost every baby born into her family and for all her nieces, nephews and close friends. A piece of her heart was in each knot to be cherished for generations.

Samira would sacrifice everything for the wellbeing of her family. With her limited mobility through the years, she made it a priority to check in with her loved ones on a daily basis to make sure they were safe. Her pure heart and generous nature were evident in everything she did.

To those that loved Samira most, her loss will be felt forevermore. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Jamal Ziadeh Farhat (Grace) and Bader Ziadeh Farhat (Aileen), and her young son, Jihad Aziz Farah. She is survived by her husband and best friend of 64 years, Aziz; three children, Gina Farah Elachmar (Ahmad), Jeffrey Farah, and Janet Farah Gioello; grandchildren, Peter Joseph Gioello, Hailey Farah Celen (Birkan), Hannah Farah, and Luke Farah; her great-granddaughter, Sofya Celen; her brother, Samir Ziadeh Farhat (Badia); and her sister in marriage, Suad Bajalia Farah (Nakleh). She will be dearly missed by her many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. May her memory be eternal, and may the perpetual light shine upon her.

The viewing for Samira will be held on Sunday, December 14th from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm, followed by a Trisagion service at St. George Orthodox Church, 6300 Bowden Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32216. The funeral service will be held on Monday, December 15th at 11am also at St. George Orthodox Church followed by the burial at Oaklawn Cemetery, 4801 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, Florida 32207.