Obituary - Avis de décès

Shibly Abela

ABELA, Shibly Joseph Cosra April 26, 1940 - August 4, 2011 Shibly passed away peacefully in the home that he loved, surrounded by his family.

Shibly's strength, courage and character will be deeply missed by his loving wife and best friend of 42 years, Daphne. Together, they raised a strong and loving family of five children: Daphne Van, nee Conroy (Robin), Peter Conroy (Donna), John Conroy (Jo-Anne), Caroline Dickens, nee Abela (Geoff) and Carmen Abela (Aaron McCrorie) (former husband and friend Charlie Reid). His 19 grandchildren will cherish their memories of their wise, ingenious and loving Papa: Justin, Christopher and Julie; Ryan, Nicole, Joshua, Michael and Taylor; Declan, Liam, Pierce and Rose; Kate and Ben; Kennedy, Liam, Keira, Melissa and Patrick. The family continues to grow with Shibly's great-grandchildren: Rory, Lilly, Alice and Waylon. His brother and dearest friend, Bernard (the late Suzanne), his loving sister Marguerite (Maggie) Sabine (Keith) and their families, as well as all his dear friends will forever hold him close in their hearts.

Shibly will be remembered and loved for his unbending integrity, his deep curiosity and his desire to learn. Throughout his life, he unfailingly sought to understand and challenge the status quo, building solutions for even the most perplexing of problems. His love of Canada distinguished him and has always been the foundation for his professional and personal contributions. His early years in the Canadian Naval Reserve were followed by a distinguished career in the both the public and private sectors. Shibly`s approach to his life was profound yet simple; the rule by which he lived: contribute.

Born in Alexandria, Egypt and raised in a traditional environment, Shibly`s open-mindedness, tolerance and kindness form the legacy that he leaves his family. His spiritual philosophy was simply love each other. In his last years of life, his family was extended to include the excellent caregivers at the Haematology Clinic of the Ottawa Hospital. Notably, among the dedicated team that cared for Shibly, Dr. Mitchell Sabloff and Annie Worley were dear to his heart because of their compassion, sensitivity and understanding of his strong will to survive. Their friendship and that which he received from his Support Group contributed greatly to the quality of his life and to his search for answers. Ancora Imparo I am still learning.

In thanks to the team of people who supported the family and enabled Shibly the grace and dignity to die at home, donations are being accepted for the Palliative Care Outreach Program, c/o; 1716 Woodward Drive, Suite 111, Ottawa, ON, K2C 0P8, founded by Dr. Margaret Farncombe.

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