Joseph Batarekh
It is with great sadness and heaviness of heart that we inform you of the passing of our beloved Joseph Batarekh in Montreal, on December 11, 2019, from esophageal cancer.
Joseph’s life started in Damascus, Syria on February 23, 1931. Son of Habib Batarekh, and Alexandra Stephano, he learned about life’s hardships and the need for self-reliance at the tender age of 7 when his Dad, a dentist, passed away. His mother, Alexandra was a stay-at-home mother at a time when women had few opportunities to work. Despite great financial hardship, she managed to provide Joseph with a basic education, securing a scholarship for him to complete his high school education at College Saint Joseph, a boarding school in Antoura, Lebanon. His circumstances did not allow him to pursue his true passion, mechanical engineering, which he instead pursued as a hobby throughout his life. Immediately after high school, Joseph worked as a clerk in a local bank. He met his wife Lilian Nachman at school, and they were married in Damascus on July 20, 1958. Together they moved to Zahle, Lebanon, then Tripoli and finally settled with their young family in Jounieh, a picturesque town on the Mediterranean. Joseph rose through the ranks at the Banque Libano-Francaise to become an operational executive before his retirement in 1995. He was recognized at the Bank for his leadership, innovation, and the introduction of its first computer information system. He was also known for his ethics and his steadfast belief in doing right by people. His work provided him an assignment in Paris where he spent four years with Lilian, once their children had left the house. The glamour, excitement and fun of these Paris years were cherished and fondly remembered. Joseph was member of the Rotary International Club where he contributed to local social causes.
Joseph’s life was rich with many interests and hobbies. He learned carpentry, metal work, and car mechanics. As a handy man with tremendous attention to detail and quality, Joseph enjoyed fixing things around the house, and taking things apart to learn how they are made. He learned how to use a computer and became an expert in spreadsheets and created a custom program to compute his taxes. In his retirement, Joseph taught himself to bake and perfected many recipes creating pastries worthy of display in a Parisian bakery. He also taught himself Italian, specifically to better enjoy operas, which he considered to be the highest form of art.
Joseph was a devoted family man, helping family members and friends throughout his life. Most notably supporting his mother throughout her life. Determined to give his children a better opportunity than was afforded him, he supported his children through college and graduate school. He was a gentle, loving person with a great sense of humor. He loved his grandchildren and was a great role model for them. A proud Canadian by immigration, he loved Montreal, and was grateful and appreciative of his newly adoptive country.
Joseph is survived by his wife Lilian Nachman, his daughter Aida Markiw and her husband Mishka Markiw of Brooklyn, NY, his son Camille Batarekh and his wife Ann O’Rourke of Wayland, Massachusetts, his daughter Talia Batarekh and her husband Camille Chami of Beaconsfield, Quebec; and his four grandchildren Sarah, William, John, and Marc of whom he was very proud.
In lieu of flowers, his family suggests donations in Joseph’s name to the West Island Palliative Care Residence, Andre-Brunet Street, Kirkland, Quebec, H9H 3R4. Tel.: 514 693-1718, Web: https://residencesoinspalliatifs.com/en/
Joseph’s life started in Damascus, Syria on February 23, 1931. Son of Habib Batarekh, and Alexandra Stephano, he learned about life’s hardships and the need for self-reliance at the tender age of 7 when his Dad, a dentist, passed away. His mother, Alexandra was a stay-at-home mother at a time when women had few opportunities to work. Despite great financial hardship, she managed to provide Joseph with a basic education, securing a scholarship for him to complete his high school education at College Saint Joseph, a boarding school in Antoura, Lebanon. His circumstances did not allow him to pursue his true passion, mechanical engineering, which he instead pursued as a hobby throughout his life. Immediately after high school, Joseph worked as a clerk in a local bank. He met his wife Lilian Nachman at school, and they were married in Damascus on July 20, 1958. Together they moved to Zahle, Lebanon, then Tripoli and finally settled with their young family in Jounieh, a picturesque town on the Mediterranean. Joseph rose through the ranks at the Banque Libano-Francaise to become an operational executive before his retirement in 1995. He was recognized at the Bank for his leadership, innovation, and the introduction of its first computer information system. He was also known for his ethics and his steadfast belief in doing right by people. His work provided him an assignment in Paris where he spent four years with Lilian, once their children had left the house. The glamour, excitement and fun of these Paris years were cherished and fondly remembered. Joseph was member of the Rotary International Club where he contributed to local social causes.
Joseph’s life was rich with many interests and hobbies. He learned carpentry, metal work, and car mechanics. As a handy man with tremendous attention to detail and quality, Joseph enjoyed fixing things around the house, and taking things apart to learn how they are made. He learned how to use a computer and became an expert in spreadsheets and created a custom program to compute his taxes. In his retirement, Joseph taught himself to bake and perfected many recipes creating pastries worthy of display in a Parisian bakery. He also taught himself Italian, specifically to better enjoy operas, which he considered to be the highest form of art.
Joseph was a devoted family man, helping family members and friends throughout his life. Most notably supporting his mother throughout her life. Determined to give his children a better opportunity than was afforded him, he supported his children through college and graduate school. He was a gentle, loving person with a great sense of humor. He loved his grandchildren and was a great role model for them. A proud Canadian by immigration, he loved Montreal, and was grateful and appreciative of his newly adoptive country.
Joseph is survived by his wife Lilian Nachman, his daughter Aida Markiw and her husband Mishka Markiw of Brooklyn, NY, his son Camille Batarekh and his wife Ann O’Rourke of Wayland, Massachusetts, his daughter Talia Batarekh and her husband Camille Chami of Beaconsfield, Quebec; and his four grandchildren Sarah, William, John, and Marc of whom he was very proud.
In lieu of flowers, his family suggests donations in Joseph’s name to the West Island Palliative Care Residence, Andre-Brunet Street, Kirkland, Quebec, H9H 3R4. Tel.: 514 693-1718, Web: https://residencesoinspalliatifs.com/en/