Ficrat Ibrahim Basha

Ficrat “Vic” Basha, beloved husband, father, engineer, athlete, and advocate for justice, passed away at the age of 90 in Vienna, VA. Born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1934 during the French Mandate, Vic led an extraordinary life marked by determination, intellect, and an unwavering moral compass.

Educated at College des Frères Maristes and Aleppo College, he was fluent in Arabic, French, and English. After emigrating to the United States, he earned his engineering degrees from University of Nebraska and University of Missouri, and became a licensed Professional Civil Engineer. His career spanned continents—from working for the City of St. Paul, General Electric in Algeria, and an export company in Saudi Arabia to teaching civil engineering at University of Missouri and later becoming a real estate developer in Virginia.

A lifelong athlete, Vic began bodybuilding at an early age, earning recognition as an international competitor. He won a silver medal in table tennis at the Arab Olympics, among other accomplishments.

Vic was a devoted husband to his wife of 43 years, Leigh-Alexandra Basha, and a fiercely protective and loving father to six accomplished children.

Outspoken and principled, Vic was a tireless defender of the oppressed.

He is survived by his wife, Leigh-Alexandra Basha, and children Zafair (Carmel Ortiz) of Washington, D.C, Hala Gorani (Christian Streib) of London, England, Zachary (Lindsay Basha), of Barnegat, NJ, Alexandra (Benoit Ginet) of Paris, France, Gabriella (Tristan Verminck), of Brussels, Belgium and Dallas of Vienna, VA, as well as nine beloved grandchildren, siblings, nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held June 1 at 11 am at Murphy Funeral Home 1102 W Broad St. Falls Church, VA 22046. His burial will be held June 3 at 10 am at Resurrection Cemetery 2101 Lexington Ave S. Mendota Heights, MN. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) or Karam Foundation in honor of Vic’s lifelong commitment to humanitarian causes.