Eileen Zogby, wife of AAI founder Jim Zogby, passes
Eileen Zogby, an activist and the wife of Arab American Institute founder James Zogby, died this week. Mrsl Zogby was involved with the AAI, and also with the Palestine Human Rights Campaign along with Save Lebanon. Arab Americans around the country are offering their condolences on her passing.
Arab Americans throughout the country are offering their condolences to the family of Eileen Patricia McMahon Zogby who passed away this week on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Eileen Zogby was the wife of James Zogby the founder of the Arab American Institute (AAI). The couple were married on August 3, 1964. Mrs. Zogby is survived by her husband and the couple’s five children, Sara Hope Zogby, Matthew Thomas Zogby, Joseph Roy Zogby, Mary-Margaret Zogby and Elizabeth Ann Zogby.
AAI Executive Director Maya Berry issued the following statement on Thursday:
“It is with deep sorrow and a heavy heart that I write to inform you of the passing of Eileen Patricia McMahon Zogby, spouse of AAI President and Co-Founder, Dr. James Zogby.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Zogby family during this difficult time, including Jim, their five children, Joseph Roy, Elizabeth Ann, Sara Hope, Matthew Thomas, Mary-Margaret and their 13 grandchildren.
“Her compassion, intellect, love of life, and courage inspired Jim and all of us who knew her. Jim credits Eileen’s zeal for justice and the rights of Palestinians as a source of motivation for his own lifelong pursuit of both causes. She was a full partner in his life and work, often serving as a gut-check with a side of sharp wit and humor.
“Eileen’s selfless support of this work empowered so much of the advocacy our community knows today, and motivated Jim and their children to make service to their communities part of their everyday lives. She was integral to the founding of the Arab American Institute, and was key to the groundbreaking work of the Palestine Human Rights Campaign and the humanitarian efforts of Save Lebanon.
“Eileen Zogby has left our community an amazing legacy and she will be sorely missed by the entire AAI family.”
Ray Hanania, a longtime Palestinian American activist, publisher of The Arab Daily News online and supporter of the AAI, offered condolences to the Zogby family for Eileen Zogby’s passing.
“Mrs. Zogby was a very active and well-known champion of justice and civil rights and a critical part of the movement to champion the rights of Arab Americans including through her association with the Arab American Institute and her husband Jim Zogby,” Hanania said.
“We all offer our condolences to the Zogby Family for Eileen’s passing and note that while she will be missed, she will also be remembered for her principled and admirable work for justice, civil rights and helping to give Arab Americans a voice.”
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.
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