Peter Shaba

Peter "Putrus" Shaba

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Peter "Putrus" Shaba, on September 9, 2025, at the age of 94. Peter was born on July 1, 1931, in Shaklawa, Iraq, to the late Shaba Hanna and Warda Mamaka.

Peter and his wife, Sayde Fayad-Shaba, shared 51 years of marriage until her passing on June 24, 2008. Together, they built a loving home and raised six children. The family lived in Kirkuk and Baghdad until 1976, then moved to Amman, Jordan, before immigrating to the United States on January 4, 1979, and settling in Paterson, NJ. For 46 years, Peter made his home near the Paterson Great Falls on Front Street, where he cherished the view of the Passaic River from his back porch.

Peter was admired for his strong will, determination, and deep devotion to his family. He was a faithful member of St. Michael's Catholic Church and later St. Mary's Catholic Church in Paterson.

From a young age, Peter worked tirelessly to support his family. At just 12 years old, he became an errand boy for an English family in Kirkuk. After marrying, he moved to Baghdad, where he worked as a chef at Saint Fatima RC Church before opening a small grocery store with his wife, which they managed until 1976. After arriving in the U.S., he worked as a machine operator for Titan Tools in Oakland until 1990. Later, he owned and operated a grocery and delicatessen on Wayne Avenue in Paterson, which he eventually sold. Upon retiring at 77, Peter spent much of his time gardening, maintaining his home, and caring for his grandchildren. He also traveled several times to Lebanon and Iraq to visit family and friends, and he proudly supported the building of a small church in Shaklawa in memory of Mar Youhanna (St. John the Baptist).

Peter is preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Sayde (née Fayad), his daughters Sally Shaba and Colette Shaba-Chahla, son-in-law Rodrique Chahla, brother Daniel, and sisters Hanni and Maria.

He is survived by his son Gabriel Shaba and his wife Janette (née Cordoba) and their children: Danny; Alex and his fiancée, Alexa Houlis; Emmanuel; and Jasmin and her husband, Jesus Perez. He is also survived by his daughter Jacqueline "Jackie" Shaba-Chalhoub and her sons, Sharbel and Simon; his daughter Lolita Shaba-Girgis and her husband Sherif Girgis and their sons, Justin and James; his late daughter Colette's children, Abraham, Ilham, Alissar, and Anthony Chahla; his daughter Lina Shaba; and his sister Helana Shaba and her husband Abdo Paulis and their children: Venus and her husband Melad Peter and their sons, Yohan and Elyan; Asmahan; and Yousif and his fiancée, Mary Barkho. He will also be lovingly remembered by many nieces and nephews across Iraq, the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Australia.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to Shriners Children's Hospital, 2900 N. Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607, Tel. 855-401-4897, www.shrinerschildrens.org, or to St. Paul's RC Church, where the funeral Mass will be celebrated.

Funeral services are under the care of William Basralian Funeral Home in Oradell. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Paul's RC Church, 286 Haledon Avenue, Prospect Park, NJ, on Saturday, September 13, at 9:30 AM. Peter will be laid to rest at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, 52 Totowa Avenue, Totowa, NJ.