Obituary of Nimer Habib

Nimer Habib, Born in 1927 in the holy city of Nazareth to Ibrahim and Rahma Habib, Nimer was sent to a Catholic orphanage in Jerusalem at age seven after his father passed away. There he became a Roman Catholic and learned to speak English and French. Four years later he rejoined his family when they moved to the city of Haifa. In 1950 Nimer began working for the Arabian-American Oil Company in Saudi Arabia. He concurrently completed his bachelor's degree by correspondence from a British institution. This marked the beginning of his career as an agent for British and American oil companies. In 1952 Nimer met Rosemary Khoshaba of Iraq while both were vacationing in Lebanon. They were married in Lebanon in 1953 and settled in Baghdad. They had three children--Sanaa, Karam, and Gina--before Rosemary died of cancer in 1970. In 1971 Nimer married Jacqueline Georgian, a distant cousin of Rosemary who also had immediate relatives in America. They had two children--Samara and Belsam--before bringing most of their family out of Iraq in 1976 to secure a safer and better future for them in America and eventually attain citizenship. After settling in New Jersey in 1977, Nimer worked as an accountant before retiring. He lost Jacqueline to cancer in 1987. Throughout his life Nimer applied his inquisitive mind and passion for learning to diverse subjects such as geography, international affairs, religion, and literature. His memory of the Bible verses he read daily and of Arabic poetry was remarkable. He loved to be challenged linguistically and could solve a difficult crossword puzzle in just a few minutes. During every phase of his life Nimer had the ability to integrate, enabling him to thrive in different societies and assimilate their social customs. He was always charming and captivating to others. As a result, he had many friends in different communities who were drawn to his intelligence and engaging personality. His mind was sharp and his sense of humor undiminished to the very end. Nimer's legacy is embodied in his children, in whom he instilled his love of reading as well as the Christian values that served him so well. Considering the tragic losses of his wives, he did a wonderful job of raising his children to be responsible citizens of high character. Nimer departed this world on October 23, 2017. He will be dearly missed by his surviving sister Hana, his children, their spouses, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many friends. Earth has lost an amazing man, but heaven has gained an amazing angel.