Noelle Cherbaka

Noelle Cherbaka passed away peacefully on Sep 10, 2024 at the age of 86. She is survived by her two sons, their wives, and four grandchildren and her sister. Noelle was born in 1937 in Beirut, Lebanon and raised with her five brothers and sisters. Despite her father’s untimely death when she was young, Noelle had a happy childhood in a large but close-knit family. She excelled in school, was active in tennis and volleyball, devoured books and wrote essays and poems. As she got older she worked for many years as a nanny and tutor. After graduation Noelle worked as a secretary at her family's National Evangelical Church in Beirut. It was during this time that a German missionary led Noelle to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and her craving for a deeper faith led her to Seeheim, Germany to attend the Bergstrasse Bible College. Within a short time she added German as her fourth language in addition to Arabic, French and English. Upon returning to Lebanon Noelle joined the Free Evangelical Church in Beirut. It was at this church that she met her husband, Fuad, the two eventually marrying in 1967. Soon after they were happy raising a family in the Beirut neighborhood of Sin El Fil and summering in the mountains at Nabeh El Safa. After civil war broke out Noelle and her family emigrated to the United States in 1976, settling in Wichita, Kansas. Noelle worked as a secretary for the Union Rescue Mission and her sweet personality made fast friends across the city, converting many Midwesterners to the tastes of her tabouli, kibbeh and other Lebanese cooking! As her boys grew up she imbued within them a love for reading, visiting the local library weekly, as well as a love for music including learning to play musical instruments. Her husband’s deteriorating health forced the family to make the difficult decision to move to Burke, Virginia in 1979. Noelle and her family attended Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, where they were active for many years. Noelle co-founded a German Bible Study and was a member of the church choir for many years, always nudging the worship minister to have them sing more old hymns! After Fuad’s kidney transplant in 1983 the couple started an Arabic Bible Fellowship class at Immanuel and planted an Arabic church in Manassas, where Noelle also led a women's Bible Study. Noelle worked at the World Bank in D.C. as an administrative assistant across multiple organizations since the mid-80s, making many life-long friends and hosting dinners at her home. After Fuad passed away unexpectedly in 1993 she pressed on, taking piano lessons and studying Systematic Theology. When her boys married and started having children, she supported them with prayer, words of encouragement and yummy cooking and babysitting services. She delighted in seeing her grandkids grow up and spent lots of time with them. Noelle retired from the World Bank in 2013 after nearly three decades of service and dedicated more of her time to her family and friends. Diagnosed with dementia in late 2018, her strong will and feisty spirit kept her living on her own in her home until she just couldn't any longer, moving to an assisted living facility in 2022 where she again made quick friends and earned the nickname "Sweetie." Throughout her life Noelle was dedicated to her family, loved the Lord and remained committed to His service, and trusted God in everything. Her internal life was one of continual prayer and reflection on God's Word, and her external life was one of love and service to others. She lived an extraordinary life and her legacy is painted on the rich tapestry of relationships she had with family and friends and many others she came in contact with. She will be truly missed! ----------------------- A funeral service for Noelle Cherbaka will be held Thu Sep 26 at 10:00am at Immanuel Bible Church, 6911 Braddock Rd., Springfield, Virginia followed by a reception at the church and burial at 2:00pm at National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia. Visitation with the family is also available Wed 25 Sep from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at Demaine Funeral Home, 5308 Backlick Rd., Springfield, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, a tax-deductible charitable donation may be made to Assist Pregnancy Center, 501(c)(3), assistpartners.org Livestream starts Thu 26 Sep at 9:45a. https://www.youtube.com/live/fj59nY1I9Kc