Naim Kheir

Naim Kheir, age 89, of Dublin, Ohio passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Naim Adeeb Kheir was born in El-Minya, Egypt in 1933. The oldest of 5 siblings, he was the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Ain-Shams University in Cairo with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He began working as an engineer and, because of his leadership skills, quickly rose to become a supervisor. In 1958, he married Ferial Sadek Mikhail, and they later welcomed their son, Osama.

Naim had the opportunity to travel abroad to further his study of electrical engineering, which inspired him to pursue higher education. Naim, along with his wife and son, moved to Hungary, where he earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Shortly thereafter, Naim and his young family paved the way for the entire Kheir family, and courageously immigrated to the United States, where he accepted a one-year position as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). In a few short months, Naim and Ferial welcomed their daughter, Karen. After a successful year of teaching, he was offered a permanent position and joined the faculty as an assistant professor.

After eighteen years at UAH, Naim had a strong desire to use his administrative talents. He joined Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan as Full Professor and as the Department Chair of the Electrical and Systems Engineering Department. Additionally, Naim was a consultant with Ford Motor Company and General Motors and the Editor of the textbook “Systems Modeling and Computer Simulation”. During his career, Naim held several leadership positions with the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and the IFAC (International Federation of Automatic Control), traveling worldwide to present lectures on electrical engineering and systems control. Naim won numerous teaching awards during his career, developed short course curricula for other universities, and was invited to institutions worldwide as a guest professor.

After 34 years of teaching, lecturing, consulting, and presenting at conferences throughout the world, Naim retired in 2003. He and Ferial later moved to Columbus, Ohio to live closer to his grandchildren, who he cherished. He was well-respected by his family, friends, and colleagues. A man of integrity, he did everything with excellence.

Naim was a devoted family man, considered to be the patriarch of his entire family and a pillar that many trusted and depended on, both young and old. He was an avid reader and was knowledgeable about a variety of topics, including history, geography, current events, and politics. Naim had a great appreciation for the arts, attending ballet and classical music performances regularly. He loved teaching and truly enjoyed talking with people almost everywhere he went. He especially treasured traveling the world and learning about different cultures, such that he visited over 44 countries with his beautiful wife, Ferial. Naim’s faith was a quintessential part of his life, and he diligently served as an elder and Sunday school teacher of several adult classes in Huntsville, Rochester, and Columbus. He was generous and philanthropic, regularly and humbly supporting not only various organizations, but also extended family members in the United States and Egypt.

Naim is survived by his loyal and loving wife of 64 years, Ferial, his son, Osama (Mona) Kheir, and his daughter, Karen (Aymen) Naguib, his sister, Nawal (Nabil Emil) Adeeb Kheir and brother, Nassef (Nagwa) Kheir, in addition to his three grandchildren, Sarah (Dylan) Ritter, Hannah (Thomas) Clarke, and Mark Naguib. Naim is also survived by several nieces and nephews and extended family members who adored him and admired him for his wisdom and guidance. Naim is preceded in death by his beloved younger brothers, Nabil (Nadia) Kheir and Nagi (Sonia) Kheir.

Matthew 25:21 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the College of Engineering at UAH, with a specific designation to the Yvonne M. Kheir Scholarship, which Naim established in honor of his mother: https://uah.givingfuel.com/give?registrants.designation=College%20of%20Engineering®istrants.otherDesignation=Engineering%20Scholarship

You may also consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association to support individuals who suffer from vascular dementia:

https://www.alz.org/?form=alz_donate

Arrangements are as follows:

Visitation, February 23 from 4-7pm, Schoedinger Northeast Funeral Home, 1051 E. Johnstown Road, Gahanna OH 43230

Funeral, February 24 at 11am, Jersey Church, 13260 Morse Rd SW, New Albany OH 43054

Burial, February 24 at 2pm, Kingwood Memorial Park, 8230 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center OH 43035