Leila Ziadeh Bateh

Leila Ziadeh Bateh, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on March 15, 2025 at the age of 96. Leila was born in Ramallah, Palestine in 1928. Upon graduation from the Ramallah Friends (Quaker) Girls School in 1946, she married Ziadeh A. Bateh and in 1947 immigrated to Brooklyn, New York where she supported her husband’s work with Ramallah Trading Company in Manhattan. In 1955 the family moved to Jacksonville, Florida where Leila blossomed as a community pillar and steadfast matriarch to her husband, four children, nine grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

Leila’s faith in the Lord and devotion to her family were unwavering. While she was well known for her authentic, abundant Arabic cooking and globetrotting adventures with the Joyful Widows Club; Leila’s deep wisdom, ever-cheerful outlook and seamless comedic relief endeared her to extended family and friends near and far. She was a lifetime member of the Ramallah American Club of Jacksonville where she served as President of the Woman’s Auxiliary.

Leila is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ziadeh; parents Ibrahim and Wardeh Salem; brothers Essa, Bader, Kamel, Salem, and Zacky Salem; sister Suad Ziadeh; brothers-in-law Eissa Bateh, Jameel Bateh, Yousef Bateh, and Farhat Ziadeh; sisters-in-law Helaneh Bateh, Azezeh Bateh, Fareedeh Abed, Jaleeleh Batteh, Julia Rafeedie, Najla Salem, and Margaret Salem; daughter-in-law Janan G. Bateh; and granddaughter Ashley D. Bateh. She is survived by her sister-in-law Nabila (Zacky) Salem; children George (Janan) Bateh, Lorraine (Phillip) Meide, Sylvia Bateh, and Raymond (Donna) Bateh; grandchildren Phillip Meide, Tarik (Melissa) Bateh, Summer Meide, Deena (John) Wallace, Matthew (Sally) Meide, Kyle (Stephanie) Bateh, Serene Bateh, and Dylan Bateh; and great-grandchildren Grace, Jack, Genevieve, Leila, Elizabeth, Charles, Garrett, Matthew, Henry, Nicholas and Theodore.

A visitation will be held at 9:30am on Thursday, March 20th at Assumption Catholic Church, 2403 Atlantic Boulevard in Jacksonville. Father Jason Trull will celebrate the Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m., with an entombment to follow at Greenlawn Cemetery at 4300 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Leila’s memory may contribute to Assumption Catholic Church’s Restore & Renew Campaign. Checks payable to Assumption Catholic Church with notation on check "Restore & Renew Campaign - in memory of Leila Z. Bateh" may be sent to: Assumption Catholic Church, 2403 Atlantic Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida 32207 or online at https://assumptioncatholicchurch.org/capital-campaign/