Dr. Wassef Dabbas

DABBAS, Dr. Wassef M.

A physician, husband, father, and relentless believer in the American dream, passed away peacefully in Dayton, Ohio, surrounded by his beloved family. He was 77.

Wassef lived a story that read more like a novel than a resume. After the tragic loss of his father at just 17, he made the quiet, revolutionary decision to dedicate his life to service. He earned a spot in medical school, and began a journey that would carry him across continents, cultures, and decades.

After finishing medical school, Wassef left his hometown in Syria and accepted a post in a remote Algerian village. There, he helped shaped the town's emergency services and nursing program, training the clinic's nurses to aid their community. He helped build not just a healthcare system, but a lifeline for the people he served.

But his sights were always set on America.

While working at a hospital in France in the late 1970s, he opened a letter that changed everything: a contract for a medical residency in Barberton, Ohio. He had made it. That moment would become a defining memory he'd cherish for the rest of his life. Though offered a prestigious position in Paris, he chose the Midwest, arriving in Ohio with little more than a suitcase, a mission, and the relentless will to honor the sacrifices that had shaped him.

He later settled in Dayton, where he and his beloved wife, Doha-his partner in every sense-built a life rooted in devotion and purpose. Together, they started a solo practice, transforming it into a beacon of care for the community. As they raised their three children, they filled their home with warmth, laughter, and the enduring values of integrity, generosity, and hard work. Wassef's greatest legacy wasn't just his clinic or his degrees-it was the way he hugged his kids, held his wife close, and lived his life with enormous heart.

He is survived by his wife, Doha; their children, Zak, Lena, and Renee; as well as their devoted spouses and children. He leaves behind a legacy of healing, loyalty, and hard-won triumph, and stories that will be told across generations. He will forever be missed.

Wassef was a man who turned grief into ambition, who treated strangers like family, and who never let go of the belief that with enough grit and courage, anything is possible.

Wassef was laid to rest at David's Cemetery, in Kettering, OH. Services and great care entrusted to Schlientz & Moore

Funeral Home. Condolences, fond memories and photos may be shared at: www.DaytonFunerals.com