Samer Nashat Masri

Samer Nashat Masri of Montgomery Village, Maryland, passed away in Pompano Beach FL on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at the age of 80. He was born on July 16, 1943, son of the late Nashat and Hadieh Masri, in Nablus, Palestine.

Samer is survived by his daughter Layla (Keith) of Alexandria, Virginia and son Sharif (Amy) of Pompano Beach, Florida; grandchildren Yasmin and Simone Soares and Jade and Aja Masri; many brothers and sisters (he is the second eldest of eleven siblings); as well as countless cousins, nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews that he doted on as “Uncle Sam” across the Middle East. Samer was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Samar and Eiman, brothers Safwat and Zahi, and countless other loved ones.

Everyone who knew Samer felt his big heart and giving nature. Family was everything to him. He adored his four granddaughters, who called him Sido Samer, and with whom he spent countless hours over the past 20 years -- from pushing swings and strollers and volunteering at their school (he was fondly known at McNab Elementary as “Sam-pa”) to cooking together and simply enjoying the beach.

After graduating high school, Samer continued his studies in Egypt, Kuwait, and the United Kingdom (where he picked up his fabulous British accent and even had a beer with Paul McCartney and the Beatles before they were famous at the now infamous Cavern Club in Liverpool).

Samer arrived in the US in 1966. He met and married his former spouse, Paula, in 1967 after meeting at the University of Chicago, where Paula was studying and Samer was living large in the penthouse-level International House. He graduated from Oklahoma State University with a BS in Business, where he was also an avid bowler and racquetball player.

He moved to Maryland in 1976, and became a US citizen in March 1980. He spent most of his professional career at the American Physiological Society, where he served as the Circulation Manager of their medical publications for 27 years. He retired in 2006, and despite being retired for 17+ years, his outgoing nature meant he still kept up with all his favorite colleagues, who he often invited over for cookouts and happy hours.

After he retired, he spent winters at the beach in Pompano Beach, FL. Every fall, he’d drive 17 hours straight to South Florida, where he enjoyed the retiree’s life as a snowbird, soaking up the sun at the beach and enjoying time with his son, granddaughters, and a myriad of new friends he made wherever he went.

Samer was known for his many interests and hobbies. He was an avid gardener and plant whisperer who is survived by dozens upon dozens of his plant babies, including lilacs, crepe myrtles, fig trees, cacti, mint bushes, and random shrubbery that he’d snip and root like magic. He was a world traveler, enjoying regular visits to family in Jordan and the West Bank. He not only made time to see his siblings and their families, but would also go out of his way to connect with his childhood friends and distant cousins. He cherished his adventures in visiting friends in the UK and Belgium, as well as exploring locales like Paris, Amsterdam, and Budapest.

He was a huge sports fan and European soccer enthusiast, as well as die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan. He particularly loved British comedies, nature shows, any cooking series, and slapstick like Benny Hill and the Three Stooges (this is very fitting given his cheeky, silly sense of humor). Samer also showed his personality through his outfits, which ranged from dapper gentleman with a jaunty cap to beach bum to sports fanatic. He took delight in dressing up for Halloween, Kentucky Derby parties, and Renaissance Festival outings.

His true passion was cooking, and unlike many good cooks, he delighted in sharing his prized recipes that usually ended in him describing how the last people who tried it “went crrrrraaaaaazzzzy for it!” Samer first learned to cook by keeping his mother company in the kitchen. His family adored the delicious Middle Eastern food he made, from stuffed zucchini, kibbeh, and lamb kabobs on the grill to chickpea salad, cheese and zaatar manakish, and rich Turkish coffee. To say that he loved feeding people is an understatement!

His generosity and caring nature were a part of his very essence. Every Saturday, he would visit the Gaithersburg, Maryland, farmers market, where there is a prepared food stand run by a group of Amish. Because of food handling laws, once food is prepared to be served, it has to be thrown out at the end of the day. He thought this was a terrible waste and asked if he could buy and take the extras to local charities such as soup kitchens and homeless shelters. They were happy for their unused food to have a purpose. During the pandemic, the local charities couldn’t accept food prepared off-premises, so he began delivering chicken to his family and a few special friends in need. With the help of his friend Reba Winstead, he became locally known in Alexandria as “The Amish Chicken Man”, and together they have fed hundreds of meals that would have gone to waste. For Samer, feeding people was his way of spreading positivity into the world, showing love, and building community.

While he showed his love with food, he was absolutely legendary for not one, but two drinks: The Sammy (gin lemonade) and “Samer’s potent homemade Kahlua”. No social gathering or holiday party was complete without him offering one (or both) of these strong drinks!

A celebration of his life will be held on February 3, 2024 at Broward Burial. Since Samer made friends wherever he went, an additional celebration of life will be planned in early spring in Maryland, where he resided for over 50 years. Following the funeral service there will be a committal service from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM at Pompano Beach Cemetery, 400 SE 23rd Ave, Pompano Beach, FL 33062.

The family would like to thank the ICU and Cardiac teams at Broward Health Imperial Point and Broward General Hospital for their compassionate care during Samer’s short stay. They'd also like to thank all of our family and friends around the world, Samer’s neighbors, and his former co-workers for their support and remembrances of his generosity, humor, and love of life.

Samer never met a stranger, and while his warmth, humor, and vibrance will be dearly missed, we are thankful to have enjoyed time in his orbit.

To quote Samer: “Life is good. Cheers.”