PEMBROKE PINES, FLÂ —Â Jacqueline F. Gemayel, 86, Pembroke Pines, FL, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020, in the emergency room at Memorial Hospital, Pembroke Pines, FL.
The prayer service will be 11 a.m. Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, at the Reed & Benoit Funeral Home followed by a noon funeral mass at Holy Family Church. Burial will follow in the Glenwood Cemetery. Calling hours are 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, at the Reed & Benoit Funeral Home.
She was born Sept. 18, 1933, on Cairo, Egypt, a daughter to Ferdinand and Yvonne Zaloum Ghaleb.
She married Elie A. Gemayel April 18, 1954, at the Maronite Church in Cairo. Mr. and Mrs. Gemayel immigrated to the US on Labor Day weekend in 1968 with their 5 oldest children. They were naturalized US citizens 7 years later. Mr. Gemayel passed away Jan. 25, 2010.
Mrs. Gemayel worked at Mercy Hospital in Watertown in the early 1970s. In the 1990’s she worked for the Miramar Police Department in Miramar, FL.
Jacqueline was a fabulous cook and enjoyed cooking for her family and was skilled at cooking for large groups of people. Children were drawn to her and she loved being with and around them. She had a wonderful singing voice and loved to knit.
She was a member of the Legion of Mary and was one of the many people who witnessed the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Zeitoun, Egypt, in April of 1968. She was a devout Catholic devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary and passed her faith on to her family.
She is survived by her children Viviane (Bob) Strain, Scotia, NY, Bill Gemayel, FL, Christiane (Brian Chambers), Mariane (Stephen) Nevin, all of Watertown, Sherif Gemayel, FL,Nevine (Shawn) Spicer and Angela (Stephen) Trembler, all of VA; her grandchildren Timothy Strain, Nicole (Michael) Sweeney, Michelle (Zack) Welborn, Christina (Glenn) Farello, Ashley (Joshua) Lloyd, Reese and Madison Spicer, Emma, Eli, Noah and Lyla Trembler; eight great-grandchildren Jacob, Shawn, Laci and Dominic Strain, Tyler Kearney, Mikey and Olivia Sweeney, Bryer Lloyd; her brothers and sisters Denise (Joe) Safieh, Toronto, Dr. Peter Ghaleb, Miami, FL, Arlette Youssef, Toronto, Colette Wassef, Henry Ghaleb and Victor (Nahed) Ghaleb, all of Montreal; many nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by a daughter at birth, Liliane and two brothers Dr. Michael and Raymond Ghaleb and her parents.
Online remembrances may be made at www.reedbenoit.com.