Dr. Mehmet Ekrem Çelebi

1934 - 2021

Dr. Mehmet Ekrem Çelebi passed away peacefully on April 15, 2021 surrounded by loving family at his home in Metairie, Louisiana during the holy month of Ramadan. He was 86 years of age. Ekrem was born on May 24, 1934 in Istanbul, Turkey. At the age of two, he moved to Ankara with his younger brother Lütfullah, older sister Saide, mother Ulviye, and father Münif, who had just become a Professor Doctor of Physics at the newly established Ankara Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakultesi. Ekrem was an energetic and curious boy with a love of chemistry, physics, and engineering. He often recounted the many hours he spent as a young boy in his father's laboratory working on chemistry or physics experiments. At the age of twelve, he painted his family's newly constructed three-story home by himself, already demonstrating a strong sense of responsibility for his family and keen interest in structural engineering. At the age of eighteen, he followed in his father's footsteps and moved abroad to attend Universität Hannover in Germany. He spent one year learning German, in which he was also introduced to ballroom dancing. A few years later, ballroom dancing would become an entre for Ekrem to meet the love of his love, Elfi Kalka. Ekrem met Elfi the year before he was to complete his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from Universität Hannover. Elfi was a young freshman attending her first formal ball at the university and Ekrem was a handsome upperclassman who asked her for a dance. This dance marked the beginning of their sixty-three-year life together. In 1960, Ekrem and Elfi were engaged in Cuxhaven, Germany, Elfi's home. On October 12, 1963, they were married in Ankara, Turkey, following Ekrem's two-year mandatory military service. They soon started a family with two daughters born in Ankara: Gül, born in 1964, and Iris, born in 1966. Ekrem and Elfi led a wonderful life in Ankara, both working and raising their two girls surrounded by the Çelebi family. Ekrem taught and worked on his doctorate at the Orta Dou Teknik Üniversitesi (Middle Eastern Technical University) while designing a new family apartment building. Built in the Frank Lloyd Wright style, the apartment building is now a national architectural landmark in Ankara. In 1967, Ekrem received the Fulbright Scholarship to conduct research and complete his doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin. The family moved from Ankara to Austin, where they made many close friends. In 1969, Ekrem completed his Doctorate in Civil Engineering and began a new position in Louisiana, leading to his lifelong career in oil and gas engineering. Ekrem and Elfi's third child, a son named Murat, was born in New Orleans in 1972. Shortly thereafter, the family returned to Ankara where Ekrem practiced as a civil engineer before moving to New Orleans permanently in 1978. Ekrem was passionate about his profession, his family, and the wellbeing of his community. As a civil engineer, he yearned to construct mosques equipped for worship as well as education. He helped design the largest mosque in Ankara (Kocatepe) and a mosque in Metairie, Louisiana (Masjid Abu Bakr). Ekrem prioritized faith throughout his life and was grateful to perform the hajj, a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca and fifth pillar of Islam. Along with Masjid Abu Bakr, Ekrem enjoyed praying at the Islamic Center of New Orleans and Masjid-ur-Rahim. Most recently, Ekrem channeled his engineering skills and devout faith while designing the Islamic School of Greater New Orleans and Dar as Salam Hall in Kenner, Louisiana. Ekrem is preceded in death by his parents, Ahmet Münif and Ulviye Gülsüm Çelebi; his sister Saide Çelebi; and his brother Lütfullah Çelebi. He is survived by his loving wife, Elfi Çelebi; his daughter Gül Çelebi Zone and son-in-law Robert Zone; his daughter Iris Çelebi-Aiken and son-in-law John Aiken; his son Murat Mehmet Çelebi and daughter-in-law Gionne Graetz Çelebi; and his grandchildren Alea Zone, Elias Mehmet Çelebi, and Ferah Çelebi. In Turkey, he is mourned by his brother Nuri Çelebi and sister-in-law Perizat Çelebi; sister-in-law Remziye Çelebi; and the entire Çelebi family. He is also mourned by the Kalka family in Germany. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Ekrem's friends from the Jefferson Muslim Association, as well as his family and friends in the United States, Turkey and Germany. You all enriched Ekrem's life beyond measure. In lieu of flowers, we would greatly appreciate donations to the Islamic School of Greater New Orleans he helped build, mail donations to: JMA 4425 David Dr, Metairie, LA 70003. Ekrem was a husband, son, brother, father, grandfather, and friend to many. Most of all, he was a believer – a Muslim who strived to walk on the right path. May he rest in peace, Inshallah. Allah rahmet eylesin. Mekan cennet olsun. Nur içinde yatsn.