Known affectionately as "Ezzat the Great", Dr. Ezzat Naim Slaieh certainly lived up to his name. He was a dedicated husband, loving father and loyal friend with a dynamic spirit and unforgettable personality. Upon meeting him, you would almost certainly be greeted with a joke of owing him $5 plus tax. He loved to make people laugh.
Ezzat traveled by ship in his early twenties to come to the United States in pursuit of a better life. On the ship, a sense of worry set in as he wondered what kind of future he would have in a distant land by himself where everyone and everything was unknown. Still, he was a man who never allowed his fears to stop him from pursuing his dreams. He arrived to California on Christmas Eve with only a single American dollar in his wallet and the address to his beloved sponsor family, the Cooks.
Venturing out at a time when overseas travel was extremely rare, he often later loved to joke that he arrived here at the same time as Christopher Columbus. He would often talk about his journey and the kind strangers who became like family along the way. This was Ezzat--a fearless, kind man who never met a stranger, only friends. When someone did not know how to pronounce his name, he would cleverly say, "Ezzat, pronounced like "Is That, so?".
Soon, he earned not one, but five university degrees including a PhD. He started his career as a much loved professor, then became a successful entrepreneur who traveled around the world. Together with his wife, he taught and helped his children become entrepreneurs as well.
He was a brilliant man. A revolutionary. He was always ahead of his time and always coming up with new inventions and innovative ideas. He was always hungry for knowledge, and whatever he learned, he quickly applied. He was a man of action. He was also very passionate about health and was an inspiration to his children, who with his help, launched a health food store in 2009, where to this day, the family continues to share his passion with the community. Many of the customers also became his close friends, often sharing jokes with each other and learning from his never ending enthusiasm for all things health.
He loved Mississippi. This was his paradise. He affectionately referred to his MS home as his "kingdom." In his free time, he took pride in nurturing a large garden and generously shared the harvest with so many friends and neighbors. He would then drive to Texas to visit his family with a van filled with fruits, vegetables and herbs for his wife and children to enjoy.
Ezzat passed away on Saturday, May 26th at his home in MS. He is survived by his wife, Nadia and his children, Fadi, Yamen, Shadia and Shadi and his grandchildren including Mathew and Alexandra. His long time best friends Albert Saad, Azzah Pennington, Mufeeda Mostafa, and the Jamilah family were like his brothers and sisters. He was loved by far more people than we could ever list, but we appreciate all the love that you all showed him and continue to show us. His memory will continue to live through all the special people whom he loved and was loved in return.
He was family man, forever dedicated to his wife and children. He was a generous and caring friend, always going out of his way to help others succeed. It brought him immeasurable joy to contribute with all his heart. He was driven by a desire to ensure the best life for his loved ones. Thank you, our one and only Ezzat, for all the love, laughter, support, life lessons and inspiration. You will always be loved, fiercely and deeply.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm and again on Thursday beginning at 9:00 am followed by services at 11:00 am all at Wright and Ferguson in Clinton. Burial will be in the Clinton Cemetery.