Anwar Rafail Saadeh

It is with heavy hearts intertwined with all the joyful thoughts, memories, and thankfulness for a life well-lived, that we announce the death of our beloved Anwar Rafail Saadeh on Friday, January 20, 2017. He gave a little piece of his heart to every person he ever met and it would seem that after 98 years of giving, his final piece had to return to God. His eyes danced with magic and mischief from the day he was born. His creativity, passion, wit and wisdom charmed almost everyone he came in contact with. He was fiery but fair. He was resourceful and shared his resources to improve the lives of everyone around him. He shaped us, encouraged us, instructed us and loved us. His life was a grand adventure and we were so fortunate to journey with him for so long. We will miss him forever, honor him in how we live, emulate him in how we treat other people and always treasure the memories of our adventures together. Go home to your river our treasured Anwar, it's time to rest.

Anwar was born November 30, 1918 in Damascus, Syria to Rafail Saadeh, a teacher and protestant pastor, and Jamile Courey, a founder of Arabic literacy programs for women. His auspicious arrival as the sixth of seven children for Saadeh family coincided with the liberation of Syria from the Turks by the British general, Lord Allenby. Anwar grew up in a bilingual household hearing and learning both Arabic and English from birth. He was named Allenby in honor of the British general and lived with an English name in an Arab land until as a teenager studying in Lebanon where his brother Mounir taught at the American University in Beirut (AUB), Allenby changed his name to Anwar to better fit into an Arab world.

Anwar transitioned from student to tour guide when his brother, Fuad, founded a travel service in America. He provided tours, primarily for Americans, to the Middle East, Africa and Europe. After years of working as a tour guide, he emigrated from Lebanon to America in 1962 and secured employment at the Jacksonville Shipyards where he worked first as a carpenter, then a machinist. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States on December 17, 1976.

In 1965, through his hard work, dedicated saving, and a dreamer's heart and mind, he saved enough of his wages to buy his first property to restore. A chance meeting at one of his rental properties led to a long conversation, mutual admiration and interest, and his marriage in November 1970 to Mary Anne Marshbourne. They built a life together for more than 46 years focused on buying, restoring and renting property, an occupation that provided great neighbors and an outlet for Anwar’s imagination and creativity. His life will continue to be reflected in all the people he worked with, talked with, shared with, and even occasionally argued with. His love, passion, perseverance, imagination and creativity will long shape the daily journey of all of us who loved him.

Anwar is predeceased by three brothers and two sisters. He is survived by one brother, William of Lancaster, PA, many nieces and nephews living in Jacksonville and throughout the United States, Canada and Lebanon, as well as an abundance of former tenants who felt like family. A memorial service is planned for early April and details will be announced closer to the date.