Suhail Salim Hishmeh was born on June 9, 1935, in Nazareth, Palestine, to Salim and Asma (Mobassaleh) Hishmeh. Suhail and his family lived in Haifa in northern Palestine until Suhail was about 12 years old and their family became refugees. In 1948, the Hishmehs fled from Palestine, eventually settling in Beirut, Lebanon. Suhail and his 13 first cousins and older brother, George, spent their formative years in Beirut, finishing high school, meeting girls, and often working as a lifeguard at the American University of Beirut beach. They eventually met their future wives and started families, calling a halt to the Beirut lifestyle of cafes and nightlife and starting a new chapter of babies and careers. In the 1950s, Suhail decided he wanted to see the world, making his way to the United States. He met his wife, Mary Semar, in Saint Louis, Missouri, at a YMCA gathering, asking her to dance because he thought with that long, beautiful dark hair, “she might be an Arab girl”. They eventually married and moved back to Beirut, where Suhail started a burgeoning business recruiting and sending civil engineers to work in the Arab Gulf. The 1960s brought children [Irene (1963), Rima (1967), and Johnny (1969)], family gatherings, and many long days on the Mediterranean Sea. Then came the Lebanese Civil War of the 1970s, and Suhail found himself a refugee for the second time in his life. Suhail and Mary gathered their children and everything they could into their car and fled over the mountains of Lebanon, through Syria and Jordan, and eventually landed in Washington, D.C., joining Suhail’s brother and wife, George and Lili. In time, the family settled in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Suhail’s passion in life was to see his homeland returned to the Palestinians. He never could get past being 12 years old and forced to leave his home, school, town, family, and friends in the middle of the night, never to return for more than a visit. An avid supporter of Palestinian human rights, he was heavily involved in the Arab-American community, serving as president of the Washington, D.C., chapter of the National Association of Arab Americans for many years. He was also an involved member of the American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine, and a proud member of Danny Thomas’ ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities). Suhail is survived by his wife, Mary, his brother, George, his three children and their families, and a large extended family. He had six grandchildren, including Jacques and Nina Sayegh (Irene and Ramzy), Maya and Leah Assaker (Rima and Boutros), and Ruby and Ivy Hishmeh (Johnny and Margaret). To Suhail, his life was his family, and we will all miss his larger-than-life personality, loving heart, and steadfast support. A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church (at 6701 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda, Md.), followed by lunch in the parish hall. All COVID-19 protocols will be followed. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to the Jerusalem Fund, of which Suhail was an enthusiastic supporter: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/suhailhishmeh.