Nohad Arab

Arab, Nohad (nee Traboulsi), Halifax - It is with hearts filled with sorrow, gratitude, and reverence that we announce the passing of Nohad Arab, age 86, who departed us peacefully on January 23rd, 2022 surrounded by her loving family at her home where she was lovingly cared for by her son Joseph.

The anchor and life-source of a vibrant and adoring multi-generational family, Nohad is predeceased by parents Elias and Nouha Traboulsi, sister Samia, brother Kamal, and daughter-in-law Cynthia Arab. She is the proud wife of the late Joseph Garius Arab.

Nohad was born in 1935 in Batroun, a quaint and ancient coastal town that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea in Lebanon. She loved to tell stories about spending time at their summer home in Chabtine where she had many happy memories. From an early age, she was passionate about high fashion, intricate needlepoint, and Lebanese cuisine. Nohad met Joseph, her beloved husband of over 50 years in Lebanon. Soon after their wedding, Nohad immigrated to Nova Scotia to build a new life in Canada.

Above all else, Nohad valued creating a stable and nurturing environment for her family to grow. A deeply spiritual person, her Catholic faith served as a lifelong pillar of her character and values. Her hands told stories of thousands of meals lovingly prepared with fresh ingredients from the garden she faithfully tended. An amazing cook, her meals served more than to simply nourish, they were about bringing family together to laugh, share and nurture. Like the steady beat of a heart, her children would return every day after school to freshly baked food, and later in life, her grandchildren would return every Sunday to a feast of Lebanese cuisine that Situ had spent the previous days preparing. Those Sunday afternoons formed the basis for Nohad’s children’s families to become a family together. As she entered the later phases of her life and members of her generation passed, Nohad increasingly represented a symbol of unity and strength and served as a focal point supporting the family’s close connection. In her final year, she was blessed to experience the birth of the first great-grandchild, Felix.

Nohad modeled how to face life’s challenges gracefully, while never forgetting the importance of enjoying the everyday blessings of life and community. She could often be heard exclaiming “Beauty on the Beauty!" in appreciation of simple and compelling moments of life. Sitting in her living room or outside in the garden, she was the first sight the continuous stream of family members would see walking into the family home throughout the week. When not there, Nohad enjoyed countless weekends with her children, hunting for rare finds at local shops and boutiques, enjoying outings at cafes and restaurants, and experiencing the best of Nova Scotia. She loved a nice coffee and fresh pastry at a cafe in the morning and sipping whiskey on a waterfront patio watching the sunset in the evening. She would sit for hours at family gatherings, interacting with her grandchildren, giving advice on the preparation of food and offering endless support and encouragement on their current pursuits. She took pleasure in returning to her beloved Lebanon, had a passion for travel and always loved to go out. As her grandchildren can attest, she had a mysterious and uncanny ability to predict exactly what they wanted, year after year for Christmas. As they would say, “Situ always knows”.

Nohad is survived by her six loving children: Joffrette (Tony Francis and children Martine, Khalil, and Gizelle), Caroline (Brendan Carr and children Benjamin, Rebecca, Rachel, and Samuel), Jenine (Greg O’Malley and children Keelan, Brianna, Jessica, and Zachary), Gregory (children Sophia, Alexander, and Olivia), Maya (Dave Fallows and children Nicholas, Thomas, and Daniel) and Joseph Jr. She is also survived by her brother Tony Trabousli (Josephine), her sisters in law Katia Traboulsi, Theresa Arab, Beatrice Yazbek, Florence Farrah and numerous loving nieces and nephews.

Situ, your children, and grandchildren know we are only here because of you. You live on through us, in the people we have become and the lives we will live. It’s with the deepest gratitude and recognition of your rich and beautiful life that we both mourn and celebrate your passing. We know you will be looking down on us smiling as you sip your whiskey from heaven with Jedo. You will always be in our hearts “ya cutie”.

The family wishes to thank the many people that provided comfort and care over the past several years and in the last month including VON, Continuing Care, the pharmacy team at Shoppers Drug Mart Quinpool Rd, 6.2 Nursing Floor at the Halifax Infirmary, Palliative Care, EHS NS, and Dr. Margaret Leighton.

Visitation will be held at the J.A. Snow Funeral Home 339 Lacewood Dr on Friday Jan 28 from 1-2 and 3-4pm. To RSVP please call 902-455-0531. A private funeral mass will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, January 29th at St Thomas Aquinas Church. To view the live stream or leave an online condolence please visit www.jasnowfuneralhome.com. Donations may be made to the Sisterhood of Diman Foundation dimansisterhood.org supporting youth initiatives in Diman Lebanon or to a charity of your choice.