Fouad Fred "Fred" Nashed

My birth name is Fouad Nashed. I modified my first name to Fred because it made it easier for people to remember and simplified phone conversation measurably. I was born in 1930 in Cairo, Egypt to Nashed Boss and Helena Abdelmalek, the youngest of nine children (4 brothers and 4 sisters). In 1952, I graduated from the School of Fine Arts in that city with a degree in architecture and worked for the Egyptian government for 15 years. During that time, I was subjected to discrimination because I was born a Christian in a Muslim country. The government transferred me to towns that did not have any social venues or recreational facilities that would allow me to meet people with similar interests. The work was extremely uninteresting. Having excelled in design during my education, I was assigned to review maps for subdivisions, survey slum housing scheduled for demolition to make way for a road project, issue building permits for a huge area of Giza and other jobs that did not require any design talent.

In 1968 at the age of 38, I was able to leave Egypt. Prior to the 6-day war with Israel in 1967, no one was allowed to resign or leave the country. After that war, Egypt became bankrupt and the government was forced to loosen the restrictions in hopes that many employees (the socialist government employed the majority of people) would leave. I considered this to be a golden opportunity to immigrate to the country I had always dreamed of living in, the United States of America. It took me a full year of bouncing between insufferable bureaucrats before I finally got the coveted exit visa that allowed me to leave and arrive at LaGuardia airport in New York with $200 in my pocket (the maximum hard currency allowed). Fortunately, I had a brother who had immigrated about twenty years before and lived in New Jersey. He helped me get established. I applied to several universities and was first accepted at the University of Texas at Austin in their architectural graduate program.

At the university, as a result of my participation in a new computer dating program introduced by the computer science department, I met a wonderful co-ed named Gayle Hensley. We dated for two years. We were married for 45 years before I left this world for a better place. Gayle is loving, patient, stoic and easily makes friends.

During my 40 year career, I worked for architectural firms in Austin, Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Houston. When the economy in that city tanked, we moved to Winston-Salem, NC and worked there for about a year and a half. It was a bad fit for us and I decided to find employment in Boston, MA. While in Boston, I wrote three books on architectural technology. One so impressed the Chinese they purchased the right to issue an edition in Chinese. After Gayle and I retired to Sun City, I also wrote my autobiography entitled An Ancient Egyptian in Texas, a book about urban transportation Mini Expressways: An Alternative to Mass-Transit, and another one on how to improve the slums of the world From Slums to Communities of Hope.

During the last 10 years of my employment in Boston, I decided to go out on my own and established a consulting firm performing the final checks on multi-million dollar projects produced by some of the larger firms in that city. Those ten years were the most enjoyable of my career. Gayle helped me every step of the way while working full time herself and provided moral support during the ups and downs of my life. We shared many wonderful experiences, including travel to Europe and Cairo among other places. We then discovered Disney World in Florida and went there often to have a great time, sometimes twice a year.

I hate leaving Gayle to face the future by herself, but it is not in my hands anymore. Gayle, I look forward to welcoming you back when your time comes. I will miss you during the interim. I love you.

I am also survived by my brother, Sobhi, and my sister, Laura, as well as many nieces and nephews, and my brother-in-law and his wife.

Written by Fred

Gayle wishes to thank Sam and Charlotte for all their help and support during this trying time. She also thanks the doctors, nurses and CAs who took care of her and Fred during his four week stay at Baylor Scott and White Hospital in Round Rock.

A memorial service will be held at Wellspring United Methodist Church (6200 Williams Dr., Georgetown, TX) on March 9 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception following at the church. Cook-Walden Davis is handling the service details and cremation (www.cookwaldendavisfuneralhome.com).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Fred’s name to Wellspring United Methodist Church Building Fund, Shriners Hospital for Children, Meals on Wheels for Williamson and Burnet Counties, or a charity of your choice.

Arrangements under the direction of Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home, 2900 Williams Drive, Georgetown, Texas 78628 (512)863-2564.