Atiyeh Saleem Assaf

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, Atiyeh Saleem Assaf, Dad, Jiddo, Big Atiyeh, and Big A departed this realm to join his sweetheart, our Mom, Pat, in hers. His devotion to family and dear friends serves as an inspiration. This stellar man’s calm demeanor and ready smile made those in his orbit feel more grounded and loved.

Our Dad was born in Berbara, Lebanon on the Mediterranean coast, one of twelve brothers and sisters. He immigrated to the US and went to college in Shreveport before making his way to SMU in Dallas and then finishing his Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Texas at Arlington.

His professional work took him from the offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico to the sandy fields of Saudia Arabia. For his Queen, this Lebanese King built a Mediterranean villa with 20-mile views as a retirement retreat in his home village. After eight years, our Dad and Mom returned to Austin and immediately began enjoying the lives of their nearby grandchildren. The most recent four and a half years have been a Hallmark Theater masterpiece for our father as he reveled in the daily goings on at our family’s East Austin compound.

Alas, this Arabian prince’s princess departed before him in 2022 after a joyous and raucous 59 years of marriage. Some of his sisters and brothers, along with his beloved brother-in-law, Randy, have awaited our Dad’s spirit as well. Remaining here to continue his legacy are his daughter Karen and son Saleem, daughter-in-law Lori, grandchildren Cali and Atiyeh, and a vast treasure of siblings, nephews, nieces, and extended family and friends.

A visitation for Atiyeh will be held Saturday, June 15, 2024 from 9:30 AM to 10:00 AM at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home, 6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749, followed by a funeral service at 10:00 AM.