Amale Majdalani Khoury

"Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb."  –  Kahlil Gibran The Prophet: On Death

Amale Majdalani Khoury, most beloved mother, wife, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully at her home in Mount Olympus on March 21, 2013, after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. This day coincided with the Middle Eastern Mother's Day, and the day when Amale's daughter, Lina Khoury, was laid to rest. Amale was 55 years old and lived in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Amale was born to Chucri Elias Majdalani and Laure Wakim, on April 10, 1957, at the St. Georges Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. As the oldest of five children, Amale assisted her parents in raising her three sisters, Nawal, Zahia, and Rita, and her youngest brother, Joseph. This instilled in her a deeply ingrained fervor toward service and laudable work ethics. Throughout her life, she served as a role model to her family and friends. She grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, where she attended the Jesuit College des Soeurs des Saints Coeur, Sioufi. At the outset, she acquired proficiency in three languages, French, Arabic, and English. She not only graduated as valedictorian in 1973, she also brought tremendous recognition to her school and the Jesuit establishment, by ranking first amongst nine-thousand students in the heavily contested Lebanese Baccalaureate. Having received a full academic scholarship to further her education in the French-Arabic languages, she enrolled in the prestigious Dar Al Uloom University (DAU), where she quickly earned the admiration and support of the entire teaching faculty and administration.

While at DAU, Amale met her husband, Saad Emile Khoury, in the midst of the Lebanese civil war. They were married on June 7, 1977, and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Despite her international travels and marital duties, Amale managed to complete her education by proxy. She received her diploma in French Literature in 1981, while graduating top of her class from DAU.

In her professional life, Amale held several appointments as a French teacher while raising one daughter and two sons, as best as she could, in the traditional Christian faith. She finally landed the job of her dreams with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where she worked as a Language Analyst in Utah. According to Amale, she loved her job so much that it was her ardent desire to serve the Bureau with all the might that she could muster until the age of 80 or beyond. In a statement from her employer, Amale "received many accolades and awards for her hard work."

Amale was warm, kind, and gentle. She had a beautiful personality and did whatever she could to help others. She was totally devoted to her family, and showered her children with love and affection.

In her spiritual life, Amale strongly wished and prayed for the re-unification of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches. Despite the many tribulations that she faced throughout her journey, she maintained a solid belief in Christ Our Lord and the Communion of Saints. Shortly before her death, Amale fervently requested and repeatedly received the last Rites, thus passionately embracing Penance, Extreme Unction, and Holy Communion. In her final days, her last words to her brother and sister in-law were, "Pray with me."

Amale was adored by all of those who knew her. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends. She is survived by her husband, Saad Emile Khoury, and her two sons, Daniel Edward Khoury and Mark Steven Khoury. She is also survived by her parents, Chucri and Laure Majdalani; her sisters, Nawal Jammal, Zahia Mehanna, and Rita Hajj; and her brother, Joseph Majdalani.

She was preceded in death by her grieving daughter, Lina Khoury, who passed away five days before her. Lina stood side-by-side with Amale as she battled the merciless disease, and her last words were, "I love you mom; I am going downstairs to my room to pray for you."

Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 29, 2013 at 9:00 a.m., at the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church, 5335 South Highland Drive, Holladay, UT 84117. Interment will take place at the Mount Olivet Cemetery, 1342 East 5th South, Salt Lake City, UT 84102.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to encourage those who knew Amale to make a small donation to the Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church, or to the Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church, 355 S 300 E Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

The family is deeply indebted to those who have prayed for Amale, especially Fathers Justin Havens, Elias Koucos, and Michael Kouremetis, whose constant prayers for Amale are most gratefully acknowledged. We also thank Colette, Amale's sister-in-law; Joseph, her brother; Lina, her daughter; and Whitney, Tiffany, Tina, Lexie, Terra, and Teresa from the Silverado Hospice in Utah, for attending to Amale in her final days.

Amale was a remarkable mother, wife, and sister. She was a beautiful angel shining brightly in a broken world. She will be forever remembered.

Online condolences may be shared at: www.HolbrookMortuary.com