Adele Bakhit

Our beloved mother, Adele Mary Bakhit, 82, of Whitehall, Pennsylvania, was called home to be with Her Heavenly Father on August 10, 2020.

Born in Syria and the daughter of the late Noman Abounassar and Hadia Beshara, mother to Norman, Paul and Michelle, grandmother to Tyler, Brooke, Preston and McKenna, our mother, Adele, loved living in Allentown, PA, her home for sixty years, and faithfully and diligently raised her family of three children, always taking great pride in her work, including as a seamstress in various garment factories, as well as cleaning offices for PPL and Western Electric.

When asked what is most memorable about meeting and knowing our mother, family, friends and acquaintances would easily share that she exuded joy, was always smiling and quick to laugh and joke, uninhibited in her expression of love and affection to her family, generous and kind to strangers and to others, and beautifully authentic, always comfortable in her own skin.

Sitting on her patio, bathing in the sun's calming warmth, admiring the birds impromptu choruses and bantering with those who passed by were our mother's daily joys and treasures.

Our mother simply loved life and her family and it showed oh so beautifully.

She always had an open heart, open arms and an open home.

Her story is one of honest humanness, considerable challenges, unyielding perseverance, inspiring triumph and, yes, dare I say, of greatness. In the end, it is a love story wrapped in a compelling adventure.

It's about a lady who, abandoned at birth, knew little love and alone, faithfully loved and raised three children without passing on the curse of hatred, bitterness or regret.

It's about a lady who nurtured an authentic love and a warm heart for those even less fortunate than her family and for a God who is the protector of widows and orphans.

It's about a lady who stood tall when others took advantage of her innocent and trusting nature, leaving her disappointed, but never defeated.

It's about a lady who encouraged and supported her three children through successful undergraduate and graduate educations, even though she would never be able to read their diplomas.

And, although her body became weary and her step a bit tempered, she remained vivacious, vibrant and curious, living life enthusiastically her way, relishing in her four grandchildren and never having forgotten the simple godly truths by which she lived and raised her children.

We think of the breathtaking grandeur of our mother's life's story, of her life's journey… Greatness, to be sure.

With her passing, this world and our lives are poorer and Heaven is much richer, though her imprint on our hearts and lives remain as a gift, a blessing, attesting to her exquisite life and love.

Mama, you now sing and dance before Jesus, laugh with the angels and enjoy the rich rewards of a life well-lived, a race well-run and a faith well-served.

Thank you, Mama, for your unending love and your faithful care. We are the best of you and testify to and celebrate your amazing life.

Mama, we love you beyond words and miss you beyond limits. We oh so look forward to seeing you, to hugging you and to being with you once more. Until then, our forever love...

Mama Strong

In birth, unwelcome in scorn

An orphan, lost and forlorn

The maternal bond, ripped and torn

The pang of hunger, delight to encumber

A start, worthy not of a bet

Assured of certain debt

Will she rise or

meet her demise

Life's long run, how she endured

In sadness, a smile still procured

Joy, in motherhood, oh how she found

A love unknown, a gift so profound

Twins and a daughter did she raise

A journey uncertain, yet given to praise

Alone, her brood she defended

To life's demands, she attended

Ne'er a word to read, school's neglect

A written silence, no respect

Learned and educated, we became

A testament to her silent acclaim

A legacy, a hero's story

Unproclaimed, a life's allegory

A lifetime lived, ne'er a waver

Mama strong, in God's favor