Obituary of Joseph Selim Assal

In the early morning hours of Saturday, May 19, 2018, Joseph Selim Assal passed quietly from this world to join his parents and big brother in God’s Heavenly kingdom. At the moment of his passing, he was surrounded by his three girls, Karen (wife) and Marie & Paula (daughters) who were holding his hands, whispering good-bye and quietly weeping. In the days prior to his death, he was vigilantly surrounded by his wife, daughters, brother, sister-in-law, niece and cousin. Even family from across the United States was able to express their love to him in his last hours via cellular technology. His family had the great privilege of talking to him and praying with him. Although his ability to speak was greatly diminished, he clearly acknowledged what was said to him and seemed to take comfort in that. In the greatest gesture of unending love for his bride, his last bit of physical strength was used to lift his head off of his pillow and give his wife of 53 years a good-bye kiss. On Tuesday, May 15 Joseph received the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick by Rev Emmanuel Akalue of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church. The first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against discouragement and anguish in the face of death. Joseph leaves behind the one and only love of his life (Karen Jacqueline Stecke), 2 daughters and son-in-laws (Marie & Dennis Girven, Paula & Thomas Rebman), 2 grandsons, both of whom are Eagle Scouts (Anthony Joseph Assal, Drew Hunter Girven), 1 and ONLY 1 granddaughter (Sarah Marie Girven), a widowed sister-in-law (Georgette Assal), a brother and sister-in law (Nabil and Hugette Assal), 2 sisters and brother-in laws (Marie Josephine & Edgar Sabanegh, Therese & Nabil Nouh), 3 nephews, 7 nieces, and a multitude of cousins with their families. Joseph was a man of great courage and lived a life dedicated to the betterment of his whole family. He left his home country of Lebanon as a young man of 20 to come to the United States, where he had no family and didn’t speak English. Once he got a job, he started to learn the language, and make friends, he met his future bride, a pretty, spoiled rich girl and persevered in courting her despite much resistance from her father. Once he proudly became a US citizen, he worked tirelessly to complete the paperwork to legally bring as much of his family to the US as possible. Years later, he wrote a memoir chronicling his great adventure, which reads like a modern day action adventure book. Please look for his memoir at the end of this writing and recall that it is written in his voice, with none of the grammar corrected. Please consider paying your respects to Joe at his Memorial Service on Saturday May 26 at 3pm at the Ammen Family Cremation and Funeral Care; 950 Malabar Rd SE, Palm Bay, 32907. If you would like to reach out to his wife, you may send a card or note to Karen Assal c/o Ammen Family Cremation and Funeral Care, 1001 S. Hickory Street, Melbourne, FL 32901. Please do not send flowers, but rather consider making a charitable donation on his behalf, to a cause that touched Joe’s heart very deeply, the St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital My Life story as I remember it Assal Family Immigration Experience to the US