Nadia Anwar Bishay was born January 1, 1935 in Abnoub, Assiout Povince, Egypt.

  Her father was  Anwar Bishay Girguis from El Badari, Egypt. He worked as a court stenographer. Her mother was Matilda Salama Morgan from Tema, Egypt.

  Nadia’s Siblings are Raafat, Rifaat, Nawal, Raouf and Sarwat. Nadia’s father was tall and thin and had been an excellent athlete and won awards for his javelin throwing while in school.. He was an avid reader and very soft hearted. Her mother Matilda was a beauty and was and an excellent seamstress and was known for her crocheting and other hand work. She loved to read the Bible and once won an leather bound Bible for knowing more verses of the Bible by heart than any other person in her church.
 

  Nadia's early childhood was spent in her mother’s hometown of Tema. Her family lived with her grandparents Salama Morgan and Anissa Dous. Nadia’s grandfather was a goldsmith and was known far and wide for his beautiful gold jewelry. Nadia attended primary school in Tema. Her Gidu Salama sent her to school in a hontour (horse drawn carriage) every morning. Nadia loved her Grandfather. He used to have her sit on a stool next to him in his gold work shop. He made her rings and earrings. Nadia graduated from primary school in 1947.

  When the time came for her to go to high school she went the American Boarding school in Assiout. She finished high school in 1950. In 1951 she entered the Institute for Teachers Education. She graduated in 1953 and ranked 5th in her class. She lived in Assiout for 6 years. She went home in the summer and for holidays. It was here that Nadia became a Girl Scout and learned many skills that she was to use in teaching and her daily life. Her family lived in Beni Suef during this time, where her father worked for the court. After graduation from college  Nadia moved to El Minia and began teaching. She lived there for 3 years. While there she lived with her paternal grandmother Manguda Masaad Salib, her Aunt Fadilla and Aunt Anayat who was the widow of her uncle Girguis Bishay and her four children: Nabil, Samia, Momtaz and Magdi. While there Nadia was engaged to marry Raouf Shafik Mansour whose family came from her father’s village of El Badari. In fact Nadia’s grandfather Bishay and Raouf’s grandfather Mansour were first cousins. They both came from the esteemed Kodsey family. Her father Anwar came every month to see her for a few days. Roauf used to take the train every week from Shoubra to El Minia to spend the day with Nadia. Nadia fondly remembered her time in El Minia and spoke of it often. Nadia taught junior high school in gymnastics in El Minia. In the fall of 1956 Nadia received an offer for a job as a junior high school gymnastics teacher in Cairo. Nadia and Raouf decided to move their wedding day forward and were married on November 8, 1956.

  Nadia and Roauf began their married life living in Raouf’s parents’ home in Shoubra. Also living there was Raouf’s grandmother Rahel Tadros Kodsey who had been instrumental in their meeting in 1953.  Raouf's brothers Nassar, Reda, Zaher, Madkour, Mochles and sister Laila were also in the household. In January of 1957 Nadia and Raouf moved into their own home where they were to raise their two daughters Rahel (Eva) 1958 and Randa 1962. They would remain here until they immigrated to the US in 1980.

  Nadia taught school for 28 years. 3 in El Minia and 25 in Cairo. Her last years were as a school principal. Nadia loved teaching gymnastics and loved presenting her girls in competitions all over Cairo. They even did presentations in the famous Cairo soccer stadium. Nadia forged many long lasting relationships’ with her fellow faculty and students that lasted her lifetime.

  Nadia and her family were members of St Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church in Shoubra, Egypt. Nadia developed many friendships in the congregation and among the Sunday school servants. Good friends like Tant Ihasan, Ezat Fowzy, Dr. Saleem to name a few . Beautiful liturgies prayed by Abouna Ibrahim, Abouna Yousef and later Abouna Bakhoum.  Her mother in law Zahia "Om Nasser" always saving her a seat next to her for the liturgy.  

  Nadia loved the sea and the beach and every year Nadia and Raouf would take the girls to Alexandria for a vacation. In time they purchased a small apartment near the beach and soon friends and family were joining them for the fun.

  Nadia and Raouf became good friends with a fellow teacher Amalia and her husband George. They had two children Amad and Nevine.  The two families became close friends spent and many happy hours together on trips to the Monastery, the beach and once where they  barbecued fish at the pyramids.

  Nadia and Raouf always opened their home to family and friends. Nadia’s sister Nawal and brother Rifaat both lived with them when they moved from Beni Suef to Shoubra. Their house was always abuzz with activity. Engagement parties for Nawal, and Laila, and other family gatherings were common place. Hot tea and towla on the balcony, the sounds of the church bells of St Anthony and Mari Guirgis calling everyone to pray. Visiting family,friends and neighbors  In general, they lived  happy lives.

  During the late sixties and seventies there was talk of immigration. Nadia and Raouf applied to both Austrailia and the United States and prayed to see what would happen. In 1980 they rceived word that they were okayed for immigration to the US. Raouf left first in February, taking his mother Tata Zahia with him. Soon after Nassef followed. Nadia was busy preparing her girls to make the move to America. Things seemed to be going smoothly until they received the word that because Eva had turned 21 in April and her parents could no longer bring her as a dependent.  Eva would have to re-apply at the embassy herself. Seeing that this was an unacceptable Nadia took Eva to the US  embassy and told the clerk "I will not leave Egypt without my daughters, one in each hand". The flustered clerk immediately found a way to expedite Eva’s American visa. In December Nadia, Eva and Randa along with sister inlaw Faika and her children Irene and Peter left Egypt for America.

  So began Nadia's new life in America. Nadia and Raouf and family settled in West Covina. Roauf's mother Zahia joined them. Raouf worked in LA and the girls soon found employment. Nadia was a house wife for the first time in her life. She and Faika soon gathered olives from the neighborhood trees and made their own canned olives. Nadia made the gibna beda "white cheese" from scratch since it was not available in the stores yet.  She kept busy caring for the family and especially her mother in-law.

  In 1983 Nadia and Raouf returned to Egypt for the wedding of daughter Randa and Michael Kamel. The following year daughter Eva married Nicholas Metz. The next 8 years the family grew with the arrival of four grandsons : Joseph, Nathan, Benjamin and Christopher. Nadia enjoyed her grandchildren and doted on them. 

  As the years unfolded Tata Zahia passed. Nadia decided she wanted to go back to work. She became a cashier for Thrifty. She worked there for over ten years. She loved interacting with her coworkers and patrons. She was a valued employee and won the respect of everyone.

  In 1990 Nadia brought her mother Tata Matilda to  America. Nadia enjoyed having her mother with her and the grandchildren, enjoyed having their great-grandmother too.  In 2000 Tata departed and Nadia fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting the Holy Land.

  In the mid 2000's Nadia began having problems with her knee and had to retire. Her health began to fail. She remained faithful to her Lord during the many trials she was faced with. Always faithful, always thankful. On wednesday April 8, 2015 of Holy Week Nadia departed this life surrounded by her loving daughters. May her memory be eternal and may she find rest with the saints.

Written by:  Nicholas Metz "a very blesses son-inlaw"