Contributions to the tribute of Alfred A. Mashnouk

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Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Today I have the privilege and the honor to give the eulogy for our beloved father, Alfred Alexander Mashnouk, on behalf of his entire family. It is wonderful to be with all of you, whether here in the church or those watching from home. Both he, and we, love you so much. My father was a man of great faith. He was a witness of God in word and deed. We all loved him dearly. We really really loved our dad and will miss his beautiful smile and his heartfelt laughter. There are so many wonderful things to say about him, as we celebrate his life and his legacy. Dad loved his God, his church, and his family. We were so proud to learn that he is a descendant of saints. His maternal grandmother, Nazira Jamate’s maiden name was Massabki. She is a descendant of the Blessed Massabki brothers who died for their faith, at the altar of a Franciscan Church, in Damascus, Syria, in 1860 and they were beatified in 1926. As a devout Catholic, our dad set an example for us, and went to church every day before work. He told us he never wanted to miss a day to thank God for his blessings, and pray for his family and loved ones. His favorite saying was ‘God is good’. We grew up in Denville and went to school at St. Mary’s. As a family, we went to church on Sunday, and my mom led the rosary and my dad was an usher. My parents refurbished the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the accompanying prayer station at the back of St. Mary’s Church, where we all stop and pray every time we are in Denville. For me, my pilgrimages to holy sites with my parents, reinforced my belief in miracles, healings, and my favorite Bible verse that ‘With God nothing is impossible’. My dad never sat on the sidelines. When we were growing up, he was always out there with us in the ocean, teaching us how to ride the waves and making sure we were ok if we got washed up on the shore. At home, he was with us outside in the yard teaching us how to rake leaves, cut the grass, and pile up wood, so that we understood that those things don’t just get done by ‘somebody’. He taught us responsibility by giving us daily chores and extra ones on the weekends. We all had part-time jobs after school to learn how to earn, and manage, our own spending money. We often looked to dad for advice because he taught us things that you do not learn in school. When we weren’t sure what to do, we didn’t have to ask Google, we just asked dad. He advised us on so many things over the years such as how to purchase a home, how invest in the stock market, and how to plan for the future. Dad always made us feel like he was our strength and our protection. And if he pushed us, we knew it was because he loved us and wanted us to be successful and to enjoy all of the good things in life that his faith and career had brought him. When we ‘frustrated him’, we tried to cheer him up by telling him that after every storm there is a rainbow. Since we ‘often’ frustrated him, we gave him a picture of a rainbow which he hung on his closet door, where it remained for many years. My dad really loved my mom and his daughters. He was so proud when Rachel decided to partner with him in his business. The big smile on his face when he talked about it let us know that it made him extremely happy. He found a partner too in Rose and her husband Bob on various real estate deals, and their collaboration made them very successful. Dad threw a big party for Theresa to celebrate her early retirement and to show how proud he was of her successful writing career and the publication of her books. As for me, I married and moved to Switzerland after graduating from Georgetown's School of Foreign Service in my early twenties, and that was very hard for dad. Even if I was happily married, had 2 children and a good job – even if I called every week, and visited every year, Dad always said that family gatherings weren’t the same without me. Well, dad, I missed you too, and now your spirit will be with me every day, and we will be together for every birthday and every holiday. And as for mom, dad always said how beautiful she was. When dad came home each day, he took my mom in his arms. He kissed her and asked her how his honey was doing. Their marriage lasted for 67 years, when today some marriages have difficulty lasting 67 days. Dad loved his grandchildren, was overjoyed to see them, and was so proud of their achievements. He regularly spent time with them, sharing the lessons he learned so that they could avoid making the same mistakes that he did. Our dad instilled in us the love of family. He organized annual family reunions and vacations to keep his children, and their families, together - creating unforgettable memories that we cherish to this day. In fact, we will always continue the tradition he started, because spending time with each other is still what we enjoy most. Our family members were fortunate to visit with my dad in the weeks and days before he passed. We laughed and played games and cooked his favorite Syrian food dishes for him. While we will miss him dearly, we know that he has transitioned into the light. He is in heaven where only love, and peace and joy exist – a place that awaits us all. He is with God, his parents, and his ancestors, and now he can play golf all day long. Even after his passing, my dad wanted to reassure us that ‘he is always with us'. He often jokingly said that if he returned, he would come back as a bird, and believe it or not, when we entered his bedroom when he passed away, a bird came and perched on a tree and began singing. We know it was a sign from dad because the bird began chirping every time one of us entered the room. It was a beautiful and comforting experience. My dad left us with 2 very important things, our faith and each other. May our faith never waiver. May we pay tribute to his legacy by the way we live our lives. May we encourage each other to give the best of ourselves for our families, our communities, our world, and our God. We know that dad’s spirit is here with us now and always. He would want us to be happy - even today - and to celebrate life the way that he did. Thanks dad, the world is a better place because of you. We really really love you!

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Karen and Harry uploaded photo(s)

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Al was a kind and caring individual that expressed his belief with actions rather than just words. His faith in God carried him through the peaks and valleys of his life. Countless times we can recall him saying he is truly blessed and wishes to share his good fortunes with those in need. Even toward the end of his journey he was thankful for his life and the way he lived it. We will truly miss Al. Our thoughts and prayers are with Al, Marie, and family. The Fahrer Family

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Theresa Julian posted a symbolic gesture

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

I LOVED my Dad. It seems like most everyone else did too. No matter who he met, whether it was a neighbor, a person at church, or the guy standing behind him in ShopRite, everyone he came in contact eventually became his friend. Now my Dad wasn’t perfect. He could be critical and a real taskmaster, but still, everyone loved him, especially me. I LOVED my Dad. He was just a cool guy. Three months ago, I brought him to the ER in Florida. When we walked in the Triage nurse asked “what brings you here today?” He said, “the food. I’m here for the food.” When we got into an ER room a young girl walked in and said “I’m going to be your nurse today.” He said “did you get good marks in school? I hope you got all 100s. Maybe 99s.” When I picked him up a few days later, a nurse named Dana wheeled him out. The first thing she said to me was, “wow, your dad is a real character. I just love him,” and she mentioned how much he talked about his granddaughter who had the same name. But my Dad did more than just make people laugh. He was a really GOOD man. He was a hard-working man, a man of integrity, and a very faithful man of god. He was generous, honest, reliable, respectable and responsible. He was a good provider who loved his family. He was the backbone of our family, the patriarch, and I honestly don’t know what we’ll do without him. One thing is sure, we’ll all miss him immensely. My most cherished memory of my Dad is when I had cancer in 2007. I was having chemo treatments in the city, and it was my Dad who drove me there, so concerned that I was okay. He was always there for me, through more memories than I can recount. And I remember the little things too, like his famous sayings: “you don’t understand,” “nobody listens,” “the committee” and “God Bless America”. I remember his abundant advice, such as how to get the scooter in the car the right way; and his long stories that started way, way back in the beginning. During his last week of life, when he was suffering greatly, he asked his home health aide to buy seeds for the birds so they wouldn’t go hungry. How cool is that? That’s the kind of thing my Dad did, and that’s why I, and so many others, loved him so tremendously.

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MaryJane O'Connor lit a candle

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Dear Marie and all Al's family. My sincerest sympathy regarding the passing of this incredibly special man. I love this photo of him ! I'm sorry I'm unable to be with you for his funeral mass but I promise I'll be there in spirit. With love, MaryJane O'Connor

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Rosemarie Knorr posted a condolence

Sunday, July 3, 2022

I am a children’s bible study teacher in Bible Study Fellowship. This past year I had a class of three year old and we met every Thursday. The two main Truth’s that we emphasize every week to the children in class are: 1. That the Bible is absolutely true and 2. There are only 2 kinds of people in the world, those who love God and those who don’t. It’s that simple, My father loved God. Gods’ Word provides tremendous comfort and strength during times of great loss. And my family has experienced a great loss. Everyone here can be comforted by the words of Rev 21:4 where it says “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” We know that our father is truly home: I would love to summarize my father’s life by telling you what he believed, how he loved his family and how he lived out his Christian faith which defined all of who he was. My Fathers comfort, purpose and encouragement in life came from his deep faith in God and the hope he had in eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. My father believed that his life was to be lived for others. In the Bible it says in Romans 14:7-9 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the LORD, and if we die, we die for the LORD. So whether we live or die, we belong to the LORD. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the LORD of both the dead and the living. My Father believed this and was a man of charity. His lifetime of gifts to those less fortunate show that Jesus was the Lord of his life and he was not living for himself alone, but to help alleviate the pain and suffering he saw around him. My father loved his family by always being with us, and helping and supporting us in any way possible. His emphasis on time was to be with his family and was never short on giving advice. His was a reassuring presence. We could always count on him. Similarly in Ps 116:1-2, The Bible reassures us that when we pray to God in hard times, He hears us: “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” My father prayed to God for as long as he lived. As all of our lives go on, we are sanctified. My father, you could say had a charmed life. Things change rapidly in life though sometimes don’t they? Through the last few months of his illness he came to realize that God always has a good purpose for everything He does. We spoke about how the Holy Spirit uses people’s life situations to draw them to God. He knew Jesus understood his suffering. He knew Jesus had a good purpose for it as well. Even though we many not understand what those purposes are. The bible says in Hebrews 4:15 that God is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he came to earth and lived as a man named Jesus. He endured the worst kinds of sufferings, from grief over his lost friend Lazarus, to a painful death on the cross. Whatever we are going through, Jesus really does understand everything. My fathers’ charitable giving was his opportunity to glorify God by showing the love of Christ and glorifying the Son, that many might believe. Every day that he was physically able he went to mass. In the Bible it says in John 11:25-27 as Jesus is talking to Martha, Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” My father would ask all of us - What would your answer be? Would you say to Jesus, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God”? When we experience a tragedy, we often ask, “Why?” Romans 8:28 is a precious promise: It says, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” If you love God, you can be confident that He will take the worst possible circumstances and use them to accomplish something good. If you do not love God, you CAN come to know him. God is always seeking and calling all of us. Have you Received the Lord of Life? The Bible teaches that we have all sinned. We have all disobeyed God’s law. We have all ignored God and lived our own way on our own terms. Romans 3:23 says that the penalty of sin is death. But God is very loving. He showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, He sent His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for us. What should have happened to us, happened to Jesus. Jesus died. The wonderful news is that Jesus did not stay dead! On the third day, He rose again! Just as Lazarus, God raised him from the dead. Today, Jesus is at the right hand of God the Father in heaven praying for us. He wants us all to be reunited with Him some day. He is not willing that anyone should perish. He expects that we confess our sins, turn away from our sins, and look to Him as our only hope for salvation. Romans 10:9 promises that “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Although death is a solemn reminder, it also points us to the most wonderful, hope-filled message of all! Jesus is the Lord of life and death. Whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life! I would like to leave you with this quote from Dwight L. Moody - "Joy is love exalted; peace is love in response; long-suffering is love enduring; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love in tough situations; and temperance is love in training." And my favorite saying from THE CHOSEN - “I was one way, and now I am completely different, and the thing that happened in between was Him” (Jesus) All of Ps 16 All of Ps 121 All of Ephesians 1 John 14: 1-6 All of Rev 4 Rev 5:9-14 "The saved man is not a perfect man, but his heart's desire is to become perfect." ~ Charles Spurgeon

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Paul Metcalfe lit a candle

Saturday, July 2, 2022

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Paul Metcalfe Posted Jul 2, 2022 at 6:30 PM

Al was my roommate when we started in business in 1975.we always challenged each other to be successful. Al achieved that goal. He did the same for me Thank you Al

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Donna Herdje Drake posted a condolence

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Theresa and family ….My deepest sympathy and prayers , so sorry for your loss ….

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Ken McElroy posted a condolence

Saturday, July 2, 2022

Mashnouk Family Your loss is a loss for all whom knew or ever interacted with your Dad. His faith and charity benefitted so many. Just another quiet soldier in the Army of Christ! Heaven gained another St Mary’s and Denville angel. I pray he is putting a tee in the ground on the first hole in heaven! Enjoying a laugh with the rest of The Angels from St Mary’s and Denville. Rest In Peace Mr Mashnouk The McElroy’s

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The family of Alfred A. Mashnouk uploaded a photo

Friday, July 1, 2022

In loving memory of

Alfred

1935 - 2022