Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Features
  • Comment
  • Store
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Podcast Info
    • Hanania Podcast intro
    • Live Arab Radio
  • Your Views
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Toggle search form
  • Shadin Maali has been named Emgage’s new Senior Director of Growth and Operations
    Emgage hires former Illinois Congressional aid to help expand their reach Activism
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 American Arabs
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd American Arabs
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action American Arabs
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022 Activism
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast Arab News
  • State Rep. Cyril Nichols interviewed on live Arab American radio in Detroit with host Ray Hanania Friday Dec. 9, 2022
    Nichols discusses need to improve Arab-Black relations in Chicagoland American Arabs
  • Voting sticker issued to voters in Cook County elections in 2016. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Gov. Pritzker Announces Six Appointments to Boards and Commissions — no Arabs included American Arabs
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Pritzker again ignores needs of Arab businesses in latest appointments Activism
  • Arab American Democratic Club (AADC) official candidate endorsements for the November 8, 2022 General elections.
    Arab American Democratic Club issues endorsements for Nov. 8, 2022 Cook County Illinois elections Activism
  • Arab Democrats urge NO VOTE on Gov. J.B. Pritzker re-election bid Activism
  • Assyrian American GOP issues endorsements in Nov, 8, 2022 elections
    Assyrian American GOP group endorses candidates in Illinois Activism
  • Abdullah Hammoud, elected Mayor of Dearborn Nov. 2, 2021. Photo courtesy of Abdullah Hammoud Facebook Page
    AHRC’s 2022 Spirit of Humanity Gala a Great Success American Arabs
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts Arab World
  • Rep. Cyril Nichols to be feted by supporters at fundraiser Saturday Oct. 22 Activism

Obituary: Nakleh Nick Khoury 1921-2013

Posted on December 30, 2013September 20, 2018 By rayhanania No Comments on Obituary: Nakleh Nick Khoury 1921-2013
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

Obituary: Nakleh Nick Khoury

NickKhouryNakleh Nick Khoury was born in Jifna, Palestine, a village located north of Jerusalem, in 1921. Like many birth dates recorded in early 20th Century Middle East, the exact years are uncertain. “My passport says it was 1921,” Khoury says with a smile.

Nick passed away at his home in suburban Worth, Illinois, USA on Sunday night Dec. 29, 2013. Nick Khoury will be waked Friday Dec. 3, 2013 at Schmaedeke Funeral Home on 107 and Harlem from 3-8 pm, and in Church on Saturday Dec. 4, 2013 at Good shepherd 7800 W McCarthy Rd, Palos Heights.

Nick’s father died when he was three years old, and supporting the family was left up to Nick and two older brothers, and one younger brother. The Khoury’s were influenced by the presence of the Lutheran Mission in Palestine. An older brother became a school teacher and eventually a Lutheran pastor. Nick was educated at the Schnellei grammar/high school which was set up by German missionaries in 1853 in Jerusalem. Contacts he made in the Lutheran community helped him when he made his decision to immigrate to the United States in 1952, when he was 30 years old.

“I had a good job when I left Palestine. I worked as a maintenance supervisor at the Augusta Victoria Hospital located on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem,” Nick recalls. The hospital was named after the wife of the German Kaiser Wilhelm who had made such a noticeable presence in Palestine prior to World War I. Money from the hospital was used to support a girl’s orphanage in Palestine, at the request of the Kaiser’s wife.

“I started out in the 40s as a diesel mechanic working for the Jerusalem Motor Supply Company. Because my father had died when I was young, I was independent and had to work for everything that I had.”

Nick was motivated by two factors to leave his good job, family and country, and to embark on a journey that was full of uncertainties. “All I ever wanted to be was an engineer. And, I worked with someone, I think he was Czechoslovakian, who kept telling me that I was too smart to stay here. He said I should go to the United States where the opportunity to make money was greater. He planted the seed in my mind that if I came to the United States, I could become an engineer.”

Despite the encouragement, he had received letters from a cousin and the brother of a friend who cautioned that talk of “money being in the street” in America was exaggerated. “He said that it was tough to make it and I would have to work hard. But, I believed in my own dream.”

After World War II, US immigration laws were tough. It was difficult to obtain a visa to immigrate to the United States. In 1947, conflicts between Arabs and Jews increased with war breaking out on May 14, 1948 and the occupation of a large part of Palestine by the Israelis. Nick’s village remained in the area controlled by the Arabs and placed under the control of the Government of Jordan. Augusta Victoria Hospital was taken over by the Red Cross. The Israelis had captured the electrical station and the hospital, located across the new border, could not get electricity from the plant. Eventually, they had to set up a new electrical power source and Nick was put in charge of its operation and maintenance. Later, the hospital was taken over by the United Nations.

Nick could speak English, like many Arabs in Palestine and the Middle East. English was taught as a second language in most schools. And, Nick’s new supervisors were British.

A friend of his had a son who was attending Utah State University, in Logan, Utah in the United States. “I decided that I was going to apply as a student to study in the United States. And, I decided to apply to Utah State, to their engineering school.” Nick was accepted.

Nick remembered saying goodbye to his mother and brothers. “They asked me, why should I leave? I had such a good job. Good work. I was making very good money. I had made up my mind. But I was determined not to fail because I knew that would be a great embarrassment to have to return as a failure. I couldn’t fail.” In the summer of 1952, he boarded a plane from Jerusalem, stopping in Beirut, Lebanon where he met briefly with another brother, Sammy, who had traveled to see him off from Damascus, Syria. I boarded a TWA plane that took me to New York City.”

In New York, his contacts with the Lutheran mission in Palestine had paid off, and he carried a letter from the director in Jerusalem to the director at the New York office, asking for help. “This entire trip wasn’t really planned. I knew where I was going, but I was unsure of how to get there. I didn’t experience something like this and I remember sitting on the plane, very scared, afraid that it was going to crash into the ocean before I got to the United States. When I got to New York, it was very confusing. I arrived at the noon hour. The buildings were so tall. Everyone was in a rush. It was crazy.”

The director at the Lutheran World Federation in New York helped him reserve a seat on a plane that took him to Flint, Michigan where an uncle and a niece he had not seen in six years lived. After visiting with them, and with their help, he purchased a bus that took him to Logan, Utah. He arrived too late to start the semester and immediately found a job working at the Chrysler factory. Working on the side and going to school, Nick completed his degree in engineering, graduating in 1956. While at school, he had met other Arabs from the Middle East, but to improve their English, they all agreed not speak Arabic with each other.

As a student, he was required to return to his homeland. That was the promise he had given the American Ambassador who approved his visa in Amman, Jordan back in 1952. But, in the States, he went to the local immigration office and asked for an extension. Needing engineers to stay, they offered Nick the opportunity to become a permanent legal resident, which he accepted in 1957.

Nick had decided he would drive from Utah to Detroit, where he planned to live near other relatives and friends. But his car broke down in Omaha, Nebraska and he spent most of his remaining money that he had saved getting it fixed. He managed to drive to Chicago, before he ran out of money and gas.

“I had a job offer in Detroit from Autolight, which made spark plugs and things and I wanted to get there. But I ran out of gas in Chicago and found myself with no money here. I started looking around and went to the office of International Harvester where I convinced them to give me a job. I stayed at the YMCA at 826 South Wabash. I didn’t know any Arabs here at all. It was strange too, but I felt more comfortable because I had been in the states for more than four years, now.”

In 1958, Nick was hired by Continental Can Company. He worked in numerous positions including in the research engineering department. He worked for Continental for 25 years before retiring in Chicago.

Nick was a supervisory part of the team that helped change American culture, developing the pop-top for cans. “Back then, it was called the “easy open end” and it was something that changed how we consumed drinks and refreshments.”

Eventually, in 1964 Nick designed and was awarded the patent several years later for another invention that helped American homemakers, the “full opening end” which allowed consumers to snap off the entire top of a can for food products like sardines, peanuts, and other perishables.

(Bio from Arabs of Chicagoland, by Ray Hanania, Arcadia Press, 2005)

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.

Click here to send Ray Hanania email.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Emgage hires former Illinois Congressional aid to help expand their reach - February 8, 2023
  • Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States - January 19, 2023
  • Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 - January 18, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
Obits Tags:Amman, Augusta Victoria Hospital, Chicago, Jerusalem, Jibna, Middle East, New York City, Nick Khoury, Obit, Obituary, Palestine, Palestinian, United States, Utah State University

Post navigation

Previous Post: Tahini diced salad, great for the Holidays
Next Post: Arab-American runs for Virginia 11th District House of Delegates

Related Posts

  • Algerian war hero Da al-Hocine dies Abdennour Toumi
  • George P. Shadid, 88, (born May 15, 1929, died February 3, 2018) was an American Democratic politician in southern Illinois. He was sheriff of Peoria County, Illinois from 1976 to 1993 and was in the Illinois State Senate from 1993 until 2006.
    Obit: Illinois legislator George Shadid, 1929 – 2018 American Arabs
  • Jackie Haddad, photo courtesy of the Haddad family
    Longtime Lebanese American activist Jackie Haddad passes American Arabs
  • Nation’s richest lawyer Arab Joe Jamail dies American Arabs
  • Obituary: controversial Lebanese scholar Fouad Ajami dead American Arabs
  • Obituary: Azizah Magazine Publisher Tayyibah Taylor American Arabs

More Related Articles

AHRC Board member and Michigan State Rep. Isaac Robinson. Coronavirus claims life of AHRC board member Rep. Isaac Robinson American Arabs
Obituary: Omar Sharif, 1932-2015, the back story American Arabs
Jackie Haddad, photo courtesy of the Haddad family Longtime Lebanese American activist Jackie Haddad passes American Arabs
Palestine Solidarity Activist Richard Reilly died February 2020 Chicago Activist Community mourns death of Richard (Dick) Reilly  American Arabs
US Astronaut who placed satellite for Arab League dies Activism
ADC National honors the late Sir Michael Berry American Arabs

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Tiktok.com/@RayHanania
    Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States
    January 19, 2023
  • Ghassan Rubeiz
    To what extent is Hezbollah responsible for the current crisis in Lebanon?
    January 17, 2023
  • Image from Rashid-al-Din Hamadani's "A Compendium of Chronicles. Image courtesy of Wikipedia
    Why allow religious extremists to re-define Islam in the West?
    January 10, 2023
  • CAIR Executive Director and co-founder Nihad Awad
    This Thanksgiving, let’s use our Blessings for good
    November 23, 2022
  • NEWS
  • Shadin Maali has been named Emgage’s new Senior Director of Growth and Operations
    Emgage hires former Illinois Congressional aid to help expand their reach
    February 8, 2023
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023
  • NEWSWIRE
  • Shadin Maali has been named Emgage’s new Senior Director of Growth and Operations
    Emgage hires former Illinois Congressional aid to help expand their reach
    February 8, 2023
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Ad-Pantry-essentials.jpg
  • ZiyadBrandLogo-2016BlackRedBackgrnd.jpg
  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Sices-Ad.jpg
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib, book cover. Photo courtesy of Cune Press
    Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib
    November 1, 2021
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast
    December 15, 2022
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Comedian Ramy Youssef courtesy of his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ramysfaceboo/
    “Ramy” cable series melds Arab world reality with every day American life
    October 22, 2022
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • American Arab CHamber President HassanNijem accepts the Proclamation from Chicago Ald. Roderick Sawyer at the Chamber dinner March 30, 2022
    Chicagoland celebrates Arab American Heritage Month
    March 31, 2022
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at Gab.com, MeWe.com and IDobbinate.com, the alternatives to Facebook and Twitter Censorship.

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2023 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme