Nadia Melki Deeb

August 1, 1925 – August 1, 2024

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2 Timothy 4:7

It is with much love that we mourn the passing of our Matriarch Nadia Melki Deeb, who left us peacefully into the care of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on August 1, 2024, in Kingwood, Texas. Born on August 1, 1925 (or 1924!), in Tripoli, Lebanon, Nadia was a beacon of class, love, kindness, and resilience throughout her life for all who knew her.

Nadia was the beloved daughter of Ibrahim Melki and Mathilda Rassi and cherished sister to Hind Abou Mansour, Dr. Antoine Melki, Lilly Sandrous, and Fouad Melki. She married the love of her life, Elias Abdallah Deeb, at the tender age of 17. They embarked together on a journey that took them from Lebanon to Iraq in the early 1940’s, where Elias, an American University of Beirut Medical School graduate, worked until their return to Lebanon. Throughout their life together, Nadia provided unconditional support to her husband’s career, taking care of their family in Lebanon while he pursued his cardiology training in the US and his continuous successful cardiology profession in North Lebanon.

Nadia was widowed in 1972 at 47 years of age.

Nadia was the mother of 7 children, grandmother of 17, great grandmother of 25, and great- great-grandmother of 1 great-great-grandson.

A woman of many talents and virtues, Nadia was known for her loving and kind nature, her incredible culinary skills, her love for knitting and crochet, her avid reading, and her highly cultured demeanor. Nadia was always elegantly dressed and admired for her unwavering optimism. During the darkest days of the Lebanese civil war, she remained a source of optimism and hope, always believing that better days were ahead.

Nadia's life was marked by resilience and adaptability. After her husband's passing, she was the matriarch of her family, caring for her children and grandchildren. She opened a retail store in Tripoli, Lebanon, which she managed until the onset of the civil war. She then split her years between Lebanon and the United States caring for her extended family. Nadia learned to drive at the late age of 65 to adapt to the ways of her new beloved Homeland.

Nadia was always a pillar for her family and her community, actively participating in her beloved Antiochian Orthodox Church both in Lebanon and in Houston. She was a dedicated member of the ladies' societies at St. Nicholas Church in Tripoli, Lebanon and St. George Orthodox Christian Church in Houston where she was a member of the Order of St. Ignatius and hardly ever missed a Church service.

As a devoted mother, Nadia raised her children with boundless love and care. She is survived by her children Dr. Abdallah “Al” Elias (Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Shenkman) Deeb of Tallahassee, Florida, Dr. Marie Deeb of Beirut, Lebanon, Samir (Maha Maasarani) Dib of Jounieh, Lebanon, and Antoine “Tony” (Vicki Nabors) Deeb of Kingwood, Texas, son-in-law Andrew Granado, grandchildren Emile (Rania) Sayegh, Lama Sayegh (Karim) Najjar, Rami (Jenny) Sayegh, Rania Deeb (Brad) Hilton, Ragda Deeb, Elias (Shannon) Deeb, Rami (Sarah) Deeb, Reina Dib (Pierre-Yves) Angoujard, Hala Dib, Carla Dib (Karim) Keiruz, Tanya Dib, Nadia Deeb (Phil) Newton, Raymond Deeb, Michael (Veronica) Deeb, Samir Deeb, Nicholas Granado, great-grandchildren George, Mark, Christine, Isabel, Salim, Nadim, Sofia, Julia, Karl, Karen, Cullen, Caleigh Smith (Grant) Pilcher, Gage, Drew, Mack, Joe, Mac, Eli, Christopher, Aria, Lila, Kaia, Philip, Charles and great-great-grandchild Cooper Pilcher. She is predeceased by her husband Dr. Elias Deeb, her beloved daughters Rabab Dib (George) Sayegh and Rima Deeb Granado, her son Fouad Deeb, her grand-daughter Rula, her great-granddaughter Maia and all her siblings.

Visitation and Viewing will be Tuesday, August 6th at 11:00 AM CST followed by the Trisagion Prayer and Funeral Service at 12:00 PM CST at St. George Orthodox Christian Church (5311 Mercer Street, Houston, TX 77005). To view the live stream, please click here https://stgeorgehouston.com/pages/live-stream

A Meal of Mercy will follow in the church hall.

Burial service and Interment to follow at 3:00 PM CST at Forest Park Westheimer Funeral and Cemetery (12800 Westheimer Rd. Houston, TX 77077).

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ladies Altar Society at Saint George Orthodox Church, Houston: Memorial Contributions. Please indicate Nadia Melki Deeb under Memo. The Society provides charity for the needy in the community, organizes and supports church events and charitable causes, and strives to always be there with a helping hand.

For check donations, please make your check payable to Saint George Orthodox Christian Church and indicate In Memory of Nadia Melki Deeb in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to: Saint George Orthodox Christian Church, 5311 Mercer Street, Houston, TX 77005. https://pushpay.com/g/stgeorgehouston?src=hpp

Nadia’s family would greatly appreciate it if you could kindly share your messages, memories, and pictures on this site.

Nadia’s legacy of love, kindness, and resilience will live on in our hearts. Her passion was protecting the temple that God gave her. She will be deeply missed but fondly remembered by her family, friends, and community.

May her memory be eternal.