Ramsey Jabbour was a devoted husband, generous father, and successful entrepreneur. He was a fun grandpa, helpful son, proud brother, dependable friend and trusted mentor. He had a clear sense of what needed to be accomplished in life and always directed his hard work towards helping his family and friends become better and stronger.
Ramsey was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, on April 30, 1952, to Eugene Jabbour and Georgette Madany. He was raised alongside his older brother, Gabriel Jabbour. Ramsey’s Catholic upbringing instilled a strong faith by which he lived. He adored his mother, appreciated all her hard work and helped her as much as he could. Ramsey told many stories of her wonderful cooking and how she would spend hours selecting the best fabric for their custom clothing. He loved, respected and admired his father until the day he passed. As a young boy, Ramsey traveled every summer to their mountain house near Latakia, Syria, where he worked with his father who managed the area’s premier hotel. Ramsey loved to share stories of all the famous dignitaries that stayed there along with the fun visits from his cousins. Ramsey would spend hours in the Mediterranean Ocean swimming with his friends, and he retained his love of the ocean and fresh seafood throughout his life.
After high school, Ramsey took a freighter ship to Spain. He spent three months quickly learning Spanish and was able to secure one of four coveted enrollment spots to a medical school in Granada. After completing two full years, Ramsey realized that being a doctor wasn’t a good fit for him, and in 1972 he traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he met up with his brother Gabriel and became partners with him at West Photo. Ramsey had one suitcase and a bit of money in his pocket when he entered the Unites States.
In 1973, Ramsey was sitting in his small apartment trying to improve his English by watching Gilligan’s Island. In a neighboring apartment, a young lady named Mary heard a lot of noise that she thought was music. She dressed up and knocked on the door to join the party. Ramsey opened the door and asked if he could help her. Mary said, “Oh, I thought there was a party, my mistake! I can leave.” Ramsey knew a good thing when he saw it and told Mary, “There can be a party!” They talked all night, and that became the foundation for an incredible 48-year marriage.
Ramsey and Mary were married in October 1976. While still living in Minneapolis, they had had son Eugene in October 1978, and daughter Georgina in January 1981. In April 1981, Ramsey and Mary packed up their things and headed to Dallas, Texas, with hopes and dreams of building their own business together. By 1982, Ramsey and Mary co-founded their store, Competitive Cameras, in Garland, Texas. Running the store was a lot of pressure, especially while raising two small children and caring for both of Ramsey's ailing parents, but they worked hard as a team. They both put in long hours, with Ramsey placing the orders, stocking the shelves, selling the products and making friends and lifelong customers, while Mary unboxed incoming orders, did all the shipping, made deliveries and managed the finances, taxes and endless paperwork. Eugene and Gina often helped out in the store in the early years as well, even when they couldn’t quite see over the counter. The kids started by sorting film and stacking boxes on shelves, and Eugene began selling at the counter by eight years old.
Ramsey had a natural business sense and was incredibly skilled at remembering all the nuances of his inventory, orders, sales, prices and customer preferences. While maintaining low overhead, he ensured that he stocked the most desirable equipment, which led him to quickly build a reputation as the camera expert in the DFW area. Business steadily grew, and in 1999, Competitive Cameras moved to a larger store, in Dallas, where it is still located today.
Ramsey’s motivation for all his hard work was to provide a wonderful life full of opportunities for his wife, children, and subsequently his grandchildren. So while he worked hard, he also prioritized his family. Dinner time in the Jabbour household was always a complete meal where the family sat down together. Ramsey loved traveling, and he made sure the family took at least one fantastic trip each year. Of course, the sign on the camera store read “We are Closed for Inventory” during those trips to disguise the family’s absence! If a new, exciting activity presented itself, Ramsey encouraged the family to try it, like whitewater river rafting, watching a bull fight or attending World Cup Soccer matches. Even the mundane things were done as a family, like early Sunday morning yard work or home repairs, which Eugene and Gina often had to help out with. The family was then rewarded with a big homemade brunch when work time was over.
Ramsey believed in the value of education and was very proud of Eugene graduating from St. Mark’s School of Texas and SMU and Gina graduating from The Hockaday School and Northwestern University. Eugene and Gina feel blessed that their dad provided the example of a strong work ethic and opportunities for them to become successful throughout their lives.
And succeed they did. Ramsey was impressed with Gina’s 17-year career at Texas Instruments. Although she started out as an engineer, Gina developed into a respected business leader at TI, leveraging her early business skills from working at Competitive Cameras. And after 20 years of working alongside his father at the store, Eugene took over the Competitive Cameras business in 2012. Both Ramsey and Mary were incredibly proud to see the company they built flourish even further with Eugene’s leadership. Eugene honors Ramsey’s legacy by keeping Competitive Cameras moving forward. Gina honors her special bond with her dad by carrying forward their shared values, practical worldview and compassion for others.
Ramsey and Mary were thrilled that both of their children married wonderful spouses, Jonathan and Melanie. Ramsey truly admired Melanie’s devotion to family and Jonathan’s kind sensibilities over the years. And of course, it was a great joy in their life together to become grandparents. It was wonderful to see Ramsey enjoy the grandkids’ youth without the daily pressures of managing Competitive Cameras. Ramsey loved taking his grandchildren to the Arboretum, having sleepovers, letting them drive the lawn tractor and setting up a mini splash park in his backyard during the hot summers. Ramsey’s grandchildren will remember and treasure their fun and generous “Jiddo.” As he would always say, "Who loves you, Jiddo loves you!!"
When faced with a challenge in any aspect of life, Ramsey prided himself on figuring out how to solve it himself. If there was a home repair needed, Ramsey would study it and run to Lowe’s or Home Depot to get what he needed. If the project got more complex, he would keep asking around until he got the materials necessary to complete his project. He also took pride in doing all his own yard work, even when he got poison ivy and showed up red and puffy to the camera store the next day. And after taking some wood working classes upon initially moving to Texas, he later turned those skills into one of his greatest hobbies, building birdhouses, benches, shoe racks, toy tables and custom Big Green Egg stands throughout the years.
Ramsey enjoyed the occasional glass of scotch and a cigar when he had time to relax. Dinners at a steakhouse were often the preferred choice for celebratory events. In recent years, steak restaurants were replaced by the delicious cooking of Ramsey’s son-in-law, Jonathan. Ramsey also enjoyed keeping in touch with his brother, niece, cousins and extended family, some recently found in Toronto. It was especially wonderful cousin Yasser and his wife Amber, who reside in Dallas, were often part of frequent family events.
Ramsey and Mary Jabbour were a true team anchored in unconditional love. Their relationship weathered the challenges of being both a married couple and business partners. Sometimes there were tense moments and harsh words, but those never shattered the solid foundation of love and devotion in the life they built together. Mary was the treasured gem that kept Ramsey going as she offered both a voice of counsel and an ear to hear the countless prejudices that he sadly had to face throughout his life. Ramsey loved Mary and wanted to make sure she had the life she deserved. He showed his thoughtfulness in ways big and small, from taking Mary on trips to filling the gas tank in her car.
As Ramsey fought prostate cancer, he remained resilient and optimistic that he would beat it. Mary understood the severity of the situation and for two years, she physically stayed by Ramsey’s side for every procedure and ensured that he was comfortable and supported every day at home. Her strength and commitment in such a difficult time was a true testament to the strength of their 48-year marriage.
Ramsey was kind to his core and had a clear vision of right and wrong. He would help family, friends, customers and even strangers without being asked. He embodied the American dream and will be remembered for co-founding Competitive Cameras, becoming the camera expert in DFW and being a friend to all photographers, amateur and professionals alike. And he will be remembered for co-creating a beautiful, thriving family.
It is with great honor and respect that we remember Ramsey Eugene Jabbour.
He is survived by: his wife Mary Jabbour; son Eugene and his wife Melanie Jabbour; daughter Georgina Park and her husband Jonathan Park; grandchildren Preston Ghafar, Caitlin Jabbour, Olivia Jabbour, Jackson Park and Samuel Park; brother Gabriel Jabbour; niece Gigi Jabbour; great-grand-nieces Isabella Uban and Sophia Uban; and several cousins and extended family. All will cherish a lifetime of fond memories of Ramsey.
Those wishing to honor Ramsey’s memory may do so by making a donation to one of the following:
UT Southwestern Medical Center
MD Anderson Center
Mayo Clinic
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