Beatrice Rima Halaby

In the early hours of November 29, 2021, Beatrice Rima Halaby passed away peacefully, as she had wished and prayed for, in her sleep.

The oldest of five children, Beatrice was born on June 18, 1937, in Jerusalem, Palestine, to Jamil and Katrina Halaby. A successful Jerusalem businessman, her father passed away in 1947, a loss Beatrice, her mother and four younger siblings were to experience for the rest of their lives. And as a result of the 1948 war in Palestine, the family business and other real estate holdings were stolen by the Israeli Government and its agents.

Because the Israeli school officials refused to allow her to attend the neighborhood school, she was sent to the Girls Tabitha boarding School in Jaffa.

Accompanied by her uncle Naim Halabi and his wife, at the age of 17 she, along with two younger brothers, moved across the border to Jordan. From there she moved to Beirut, Lebanon, to enroll at the Beirut College for Women. When, in 1959, the family was reunited in Beirut, Lebanon, Beatrice dropped out of college to help pay for her younger siblings’ high school and college education.

She worked at INTRA Bank for some 20 years and graduated from Beirut College for Women with a degree in business.

In 1977 she and her mother emigrated to the US and resided in Redwood Shores, California, where brothers Tony, David, Ramzy and their families resided.

Beatrice was first employed by Oral B, attended San Francisco State University, and was awarded an M.A. in Human Resources. And for several years she served as the office manager of a San Francisco Bay Area architectural firm.

When, in 1995, her mother suffered a severe stroke, Beatrice retired and refused to admit her mother into a nursing home. And for two years she took care of her mother’s medical and other needs in her home, until her mother’s death.

In 2015 Beatrice moved to West Shores Senior Community Living in Hot Springs, AR, to be closer to her brother and sister-in-law, Raouf and Rachel Halaby.

No matter where Beatrice lived, she always made lasting friendships. She loved people, she enjoyed good conversation, she loved to read, she had a great sense of humor, she was an accomplished embroiderer, she enjoyed knitting, and best of all, she enjoyed cooking and sharing her recipes with anyone who’d give her even one minute. Beatrice enjoyed giving gifts to old and new friends, and her favorite gifts were Middle Eastern cookbooks.

Having experienced the trauma of dispossession and the challenges refugees face as they negotiate daily life, Beatrice found a home in her adopted country in both, the San Francisco Bay Area, and in Hot Springs, AR. She was a passionate advocate for human rights and tirelessly argued on behalf of her native Palestine and her children – under occupation and in diaspora. She was also a strong advocate for Women’s Rights. A recurring theme in family conversations included giving thanks for “having a roof over our heads, and for having food to eat.” And in parting, she always admonished her brother to send a donation, on her behalf, to one of three favorite charities, namely, Doctors Without Borders “because they help the destitute, the sick, and the refugees – as we were.”

Beatrice was preceded in death by her father and mother, Jamil and Katrina Halaby, and by brothers Tony Halabi, David Halaby, and Ramzy Halaby. She is survived by brother Raouf J. Halaby and his wife Rachel of Arkadelphia, AR, sisters-in-law Nuhad Halabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Rima Halaby, Foster City, CA, Miranda Halaby, Redwood Shores, CA, seven nephews and two nieces.

A devoted and loving daughter, sister, sister-in-law, aunt, and friend, Beatrice Rima Halaby’s genuine love, gracious demeanor, giving spirit, great sense of humor, and abiding belief that all human beings are God’s children and deserve respect, inclusion, and love were her trademark.

Those wishing to honor her memory may wish to donate to Doctors Without Borders; Betty Halaby Scholarship for Deserving Young Women at MECA (Middle East Children’s Alliance), 1101 8th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710; or the Four Homes of Mercy in Occupied Palestine, 10366 Tonita Way, Cupertino, CA 95014.