Dee Eldin

1934 - 2013

Dee Hill Gamal Eldin

January 19, 1934

November 29, 2013

Dee Hill Gamal- Eldin was born January 19, 1934 in Blanco, Oklahoma and died November 29, 2013 in Reno, Nevada. Dee had an extraordinarily rich life during which she touched the lives of people in countries throughout the world. She graduated from Sand Springs High School in 1953 and went on to attend Oklahoma Christian College. She was a great lover of music and a very accomplished pianist. After college she worked in an oil company in Tulsa and later was transferred to their New York City office. In New York she also worked as a model and lived at the historic Barbizon Hotel for Women. She met her future husband, Atef Gamal-Eldin, an Egyptian diplomat, while living at the Barbizon. The couple moved to Houston, Texas in 1964 where Dee became the first woman director of St. Joe's Hospital. In 1968 she and Atef were among the founders of the first Arab Chamber of Commerce based in Houston which brought representative businessmen to the United States from many different Arab countries.

They made their home in Reno in the 1981 where Atef was an international lawyer and Dee supported international causes and organizations on local and international levels. As a member of the Egyptian Foreign Council on Foreign Relations in Egypt, her husband had worked closely with former President of Egypt Anwar Sadat. Throughout their lives Dee and Atef continued to work for President Sadat's vision of peace. Dee was a supporter of the Northern Nevada International Center and invited friends to the center's Global Gala each year. She was keenly interested in building bridges of understanding between people and worked tirelessly to connect people from different walks of life, whether it entailed hosting University of Nevada, Reno students on an educational trip in Cairo or bringing Mrs. Sadat, former First Lady Of Egypt, for a visit to Reno as a guest speaker at the annual University of Nevada Foundation dinner. Dee's wish to help students broaden their horizons was also evidenced by her strong support of Truckee Meadows Community College, where both she and her husband had taken classes. Dee established an endowment in the name of her late husband in support of the TMCC Distinguished Speaker Series so that students would have the opportunity to be exposed to distinguished speakers from across the globe. Dee was a member of the Northern Nevada Muslim Community.

It was one of Dee's greatest joys to invite her friends to her home in Cairo, Egypt to introduce them to the beauty and history of Egypt and to the Egyptian people. For Dee, Cairo was the Door to Africa. She was a champion of human rights and the first to extend her hand in time of need. Dee is survived by a brother, John Hill, of Tulsa, a sister-in-law, four nieces, two nephews, numerous grand nieces and nephews, and many, many friends globally.

Today marks Dee's eightieth birthday. We are reminded of her gracious and kind ways. She shared her friends as she did her books. We will miss her beautiful presence, her intriguing stories of a fascinating life, and her joie de vivre. All her friends and family feel blessed to have shared her friendship and we celebrate her life.

Written by Dianne Cheseldine Friend Founder, Distinguished Speaker Series Truckee Meadows Community College