Born in Houston, Texas, Lillion L. Nahas was the daughter of Mitchel and Mary Bahia Turk Arwady. After graduation in 1931 from Jefferson Davis High School and legal and business advanced schooling, she served for several years in the legal profession in Houston, Texas. In 1941 she met and married Jack N. Nahas and traveled the world as an Army wife for over 25 years before settling in Beaumont, Texas in 1965.
During her time with the Army, Mrs. Nahas volunteered with several service organizations including the American Red Cross. After her return to Beaumont, Mrs. Nahas worked actively for over 10 years in real estate and was an active member of the Pilot Club. She was one of the early officers in the Southern Federation, a group of affiliated Lebanese American clubs in Texas and the southern United States. She was also a lifetime member of the Order of the Eastern Star. During her later years, she concentrated on further service to St. Michael’s Antiochian Orthodox Church, spending many hours in preparation for the church’s annual Mediterranean Dinner and other fund raising events. Known as an excellent cook, her kibbi and stuffed grape leaves were always recognized as the standard for excellence. Lillion Nahas was a long time member of The Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch, a church service organization. Because of her long association with and contributions to St. Michael’s, the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America presented her with the Certificate of Meritorious Service in December 2003.
Lillion Nahas was the wife of 58 years of Col. Jack N. Nahas of Beaumont. Her first love and greatest pride was always her family. She is survived by three children and their spouses, Col. Nicholas M. Nahas and his wife Rosalie of Vienna, Virginia, Col. Albert J. Nahas and his wife Carolyn of Sugar Land, Texas and Patricia Marie Rudawski and her husband Stephan of Pflugerville, Texas; six grandchildren, Maj. Michael Nahas and his wife Nancy, Anne Marie Collins and her husband Ron, Christian Nahas and his wife Maryanne, CPT. Matthew Nahas, Laura Avila and her husband Robert, and Christopher Funchess; and eight great grandchildren, Nicholas Nahas, Haley Nahas, Olivia Nahas, Michael Collins, Jack Collins, Sophie Collins, Eva Nahas and an additional Nahas due this week. Her sisters Virginia Hawa of Beaumont, and Alice Almokary, Helen Angelo and her sister-in-law Beatrice Arwady of Houston also survive her.
Trisagion services will be held 7:00 PM Wednesday evening, July 21, at Broussard’s Mortuary, 2000 McFaddin St. in Beaumont. Funeral services will be held at St. Michael’s Orthodox Church at 10:00 AM Thursday, July 22, 2004 under the direction of Broussard’s, Beaumont, followed by burial in St. Michael’s Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her name to St. Michael’s Orthodox Church Memorial Fund, 690 North 15th Street, Beaumont, Texas 77702 or to the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, 1012 North University Boulevard, Middletown, OH 45042 or www.parentprojectmd.org
Lillion Nahas passed away on July 18, 2004.
