Sameareh Freij

Our beloved, Sameareh Freij, was born in Nablus, Palestine in 1933. She rested peacefully on January 2nd 2019 at the Swedish Hospital in Edmonds, Washington (WA) as her loved ones gathered around her to say their last goodbyes.

Her funeral service will take place on January 14th 2019 at St. Katherine Orthodox Church in Kirkland, WA preceding her burial service at the Woodinville Cemetery in Woodinville, WA where she will rest amongst the fruits of the earth and will lay peacefully.

Sameareh’s spirit and essence is still alive among us and runs through her four living children; her two sons, Issa and Adel Freij and her two daughters, Suzanne Farraj and Hiam Malik. The love for her is ever-growing and vast as God blessed her with 11 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren, all of whom filled her heart with joy as she joined in the celebrations of their birth and growth. She was also blessed with four siblings: her three brothers, the late Salim Shami, the late Sami Shami and George Shami, and her sister, Nadia Sem’an.

In 1948, and after the occupation of Palestine, Sameareh and her family moved to Beirut, Lebanon. In Beirut, Sameareh met Pascal Freij whom she married in 1952. They lived most of their lives in Beirut and worked hard to raise their children and build a family based on dedication, hard work, education and the Christian faith. They were mentors, teachers and parents and their dedication to their children is reflected in the achievements that all four of them have acquired throughout their years. In 1985, Pascal departed this world where he remains peacefully resting at St Mary’s Orthodox Church of Dormition in Beirut, Lebanon.

After the beloved father, Pascal, departed, Sameareh moved for the second time around with her sons Issa and Adel to Amman, Jordan. Her daughter, Suzanne Farraj, married and immigrated to the U.S.A and her daughter, Hiam Malik, married and moved to the U.K. Her life there amongst family and friends in Jordan was one of the most memorable periods of her life where she enjoyed her surroundings very much. Finally, in 1989 she moved to the United States and was reunited with her daughter Suzanne. Her love of life and openness to culture made it very easy for her to adapt where she quickly adjusted to life and was able to go about her daily activities independently, a characteristic in her that will always be admired. She loved to explore and was never afraid to venture on her own no matter how alien and unfamiliar the territory was. Her family and friends were always proud of her ability to allow herself to be happy despite many of her relatives being so far away. She was an intelligent, outgoing and independent woman who loved life and people. Sameareh was very capable of tackling obstacles and managing all the downfalls in life.

She raised all her four children with a strong, independent upbringing, pushing them towards their education, and sacrificing a chunk of her time for them. She always put her children and her family first and her faith was also of upmost importance to her. After three immigrations, she lived very peacefully in her own apartment in Kirkland, WA for the last 19 years of her life. Family and friends called her all the time and despite her limited mobility and age, she was still busy with her daily routines which included watching TV as well as outdoor trips such as going to the mall. Her mobility and ability to perform such activities decreased at the start of 2017 when her dementia kicked in and in early 2018, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure as well as kidney failure. However, she was still an optimistic woman, determined to continue with life, performing her daily activities as best as she could. She never gave up hope and viewed life enthusiastically, living each day to the fullest. She was an inspiration to us all, full of faith, courage, and hope.

She will be dearly missed by all of us – her children: Suzanne, Hiam, Issa and Adel, her grandchildren: Karim, Nadim, Hania, Dania, Omar, Christina, Dana, Mary Ann, Pascal, Reda and Hani and her great grandchildren (who called her teita): Elias, Rafael, Noah, Isaac S., Isaac F., Adam, Josef and Johnathan. She will be missed by all her other relatives; sister, brother and in-laws. She will be always remembered as a woman of courage, faith, love, and inspiration. She was a mother to all, not only to her children and she will always be present among us, on this day and for many days and years to come.

She has now returned to paradise, where she looks upon us, smiling, alongside her beloved husband, Pascal Freij.