DALLAS — Dr. Mahmoud H. Fahmy, Ph.D., 88, of Dallas, passed away peacefully on Sept. 23, 2019, surrounded by his wife of 60 years, Irandukht Vahidi Fahmy; his children, Roya Fahmy, of Scranton, Dr. Raef (Bethanne) Fahmy, of Newburyport, Mass., and Randa Fahmy, of Washington, D.C.; and grandchildren Jared, Trevor and Kira Fahmy, Alexandria Hudome and Alana Swartz.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, on Oct. 1, 1930, Dr. Fahmy was the fourth of nine children born to Hussein Fahmy and Mounira El Sayed. He devoted his entire life to the noble pursuit of education and encouraged others to do so as well. He completed his undergraduate education at Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. He bravely left his birth country of Egypt to come to America in 1958 to study at Columbia University in New York City, where he obtained his master’s degree in education and history. He continued his educational pursuits at Syracuse University in New York where he received his doctoral degree in philosophy. He subsequently taught at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, and Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, where he had an accomplished 30-year career as an academic and administrator.
Dr. Fahmy loved the United States of America and quickly became a naturalized U.S. citizen. His infectious optimism was reflected in his favorite saying, “I am an American by choice.” He strongly believed in civic service to America, and to the social, cultural and educational institutions in his community, the Wyoming Valley. He devoted a great deal of time volunteering on various boards and local community organizations in Luzerne County. He was often called upon by the community for his expertise and knowledge of global affairs and Middle East politics, providing media commentary and lectures. He strongly believed in interfaith cooperation and led one of the first interfaith delegations to Egypt and Israel after the Camp David Accords were signed in 1978. He and his wife, Iran, traveled around the world in pursuit of international education, having visited more than 50 countries.
A private Islamic burial took place on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019. A public memorial service where family will be receiving condolences will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the Wilkes University Henry Student Center, 84 W. South St., Wilkes-Barre.
The family would like to express its sincerest thanks to the professional staff at Geisinger Wyoming Valley and Mercy Center Skilled Nursing.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Mahmoud H. Fahmy, Ph.D., Scholarship at Wilkes University, Office of Advancement, 84 W. South St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766, or online at www.wilkes.edu/give.