David Mounir Sa'adah

David Mounir Sa'adah, MD, 86, husband of Gretchen Tenny Hall, died Wednesday, October 29, 2025.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon November 6, 1938, he was the son of the late Rev. Mounir Raphael Sa'adah and Marjorie Abrahamian Sa'adah.

David was raised in Beirut, Lebanon; Rafah, Gaza; and Woodstock, Vermont. He graduated from Groton School 1955; Harvard College, A.B. cum laude 1959; and McGill University, Doctor of Medicine 1963.

David served in the U.S. Army for 30 years as a physician, attaining the rank of Colonel. He completed multiple overseas deployments including a tour of duty in Vietnam (1967-68). An OB-GYN, his focus was women's health care for service members and families, as well as developing mobile hospitals for disaster relief. His research into the U.S. military's friendly fire casualties found significant under-reporting and forced a reevaluation of historical methods of calculating these statistics. Among many military honors, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was married to Gay Gellhorn from 1961- 1986; they raised three children while posted in France, Italy and the United States.

In 1987, David married Gretchen Tenny Hall in Alexandria, VA, where they lived for 25 years. In his retirement, David's research, writing and library-building centered on preserving Armenian and Arab histories as well as family history. David will be remembered for his kindness and generosity. David and Gretchen's table was always a place of welcome for which he baked baguettes every Thursday. He loved birds, exploring the world and meeting its peoples, and traveling with his grandchildren.

In 2012, Gretchen and David moved to Foulkeways, a Quaker retirement community near Philadelphia. He was an active member of Alexandria (VA) Friends Meeting, and Gwynedd (PA) Friends Meeting.

Surviving with his wife are children Rafael Sa'adah (Bri Teneza), Sarah Sa'adah (Joe Straton), Marjorie Gellhorn Sa'adah, Sarah Tucker, and Rachel Tucker (Gustavo Albanese); siblings Jonathan Sa'adah (Elizabeth Adams), and Anne Sa'adah (Charles Maier); and grandchildren Jack Straton, Emma Straton, Olivia, Eleanor and Nicholas Gilpin, Jessica, Max and Lu Albanese.

A Friends Meeting to celebrate the life of David Sa'adah will be held at Foulkeways, 1120 Meetinghouse Road, Gwynedd, PA in early 2026. Burial will be private at Alexandria Friends Meeting.. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: American Friends Service Committee at afsc.org. or Alexandria Friends Meeting at woodlawnfriends.org.

Arrangements are through the Huff & Lakjer Funeral Home, Lansdale, PA.