Mr. Metri Metri

We have lost a humble man, who challenged nations simply with his speeches and unwavering will to educate others to think freely and love one another and the country. As his children, he taught us to do everything with passion, seek knowledge, and to always do the right thing. He taught us “the way” as that’s how he found peace in the darkest times. Actually he was only 14 years old when his speeches threatened dictators and occupiers in his native country Syria.

He grew up in a small village called Bedada, which in Aramaic means “the house of the Aramean God Adad”, which is 10 kms from Safita, where the town church is one of the towers of Chastel Blanc (Safita Tower) of The Knights Templars, which is still a functioning church to this day. Our grandmother, Asma Tanous was educated and could read the bible and write. Her father was an immigrant to the Americas. Our grandfather, Antonius, son of Esber Issa Metri/Mitre/Mitri, returned from Buenos Aires to his birth place in Syria in the late 1920s, became the mayor of the town and built the first school building. Our grandparents were religious, well traveled and educated despite that they lived in the Christian Valley of Syria or as some refer to it as “The Crusaders’ Valley” due to the majority christian population and high number of crusaders’ castles.

In his youth, he moved to Lebanon, and taught at the Balamand, which later became the University of Balamand, then immigrated to Kuwait, where he established Al Ekhlas High School, which graduated some very highly accomplished professionals in the region. He was so successful as an educator and school principal. He encouraged all to seek knowledge without fear. Our dad taught us that no religion should ever divide a country or good men especially if they were enlightened to do good. Growing up, many of my dad’s students recognized him even after 20+ years. He had to change careers; with a mind that could easily do complex math, he became an accountant, then a general manager for one of the largest companies in Kuwait before he retired in the village where he was born. He wanted to plant flowers and olive trees, which are especially famous in the Near East parts of the Mediterranean. His dream retirement was cut short with the civil war in Syria in 2011, when both of our parents immigrated to the USA and became proud US Citizens in 2018.

What is the meaning of life? Or always live with purpose is what our father always taught us. But what is the meaning of life when some is suffering from major illnesses… in 2013 Metri survived a heart valve rupture, which is typically fatal, which added to the confusion of the best medical teams at a top medical center, then he survived two back to back open heart surgeries followed by complex recoveries. Later that year he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, which spread all over his body in 2015 and was given only 2 months to live. He only accepted therapy after 5 months and beat stage 4 cancer. Almost a year ago he had a major stroke which left him bed bound and with major difficulty swallowing, yet he was determined to survive and would even smile often when he saw us and to his medical team. He kept fighting to the last breath and never wished death. The irony that the humble revolutionary 14 year old boy then man who immigrated later in life and dared to challenge anything that would oppress his freedom to think and live. Died of old age at 93 fighting to live to the last breath. Yet he gave us a final lesson of the meaning of life fighting terminal illnesses with a frail old bed-bound body, but an unwavering determination to live and smile every moment he could in the hope of one last visit to his olive tree orchards. He always said, you see the meaning and beauty of life in the eyes of those you love.