Carmen Ragheb

Carmen Ragheb, of Birmingham, MI, a beloved wife and mother passed away on August 6th,
2023 at Beaumont Hospital.
She was born in Khartoum, Sudan of Egyptian parents, to a large family. She was the youngest
of her nine siblings. She was preceded in death by her husband Shafik Ragheb, and her daughter
Dr. Samia Ragheb, as well as her parents Habib Saba and Balsem Rizk, and her siblings:
Edward, Mounir, Samir, Boushra, Grant, Mary, Charlotte, Narguis, and Bahga.
She is survived by her daughter Nadia Ragheb-Gonzalez (Benancio Gonzalez), and many nieces
and nephews and their children in Egypt, Canada, Austria, and the United States.
She grew up in Cairo, Egypt, where she became a teacher of English in El Sania Secondary
School in Cairo Egypt. She was introduced to her husband by a friend and fellow teacher Samira
Ragheb, who became her sister-in-law, after Carmen married Shafik Ragheb in 1957. She
immigrated to the United States with her husband and children in 1971.
In the United States, she worked as a sales person at Crowleys Department Store in Birmingham,
Michigan, where she made many friends. After retirement, she maintained contact with her work
friends, and would go to monthly lunches with them. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, reading,
and most of all, going to church. She was a member of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
in Troy, Michigan for many years. She was happiest when she was at church.
Carmen was a devoted mother and wife, always making sure there was a home cooked dinner on
the table, even after a long day of work. She was loved by everyone one who met her. She was
universally described as sweet and friendly. She had the capacity to relate to people from
different generations, cultures, and backgrounds. She made anyone she spoke to feel
comfortable. She was also known for her great sense of humor. In recent years, she would tell
anyone she saw out in public to "stay young", which would always elicit a laugh and some
conversation.
She enjoyed traveling with her family. She was very independent and energetic. When she was
four years old, she managed to open the door of her family's fourth floor apartment and descend
four flights of stairs without anyone noticing. She went walking and exploring on the main
streets of Cairo by herself, until a policeman found her and took her home. She was still just as
fiesty and independent during her recent hospitalization, as she was at 4 years old.
She will be laid to rest at White Chapel Cemetery.
Memorial tributes can be made to St. George of Troy, Antiochian Orthodox Church,
https://www.facebook.com/stgeorgeoftroymi, or to Coptic Orphans, https://copticorphans.org