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Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 from 2-4 and 6-8 PM.
Services will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 9:00 AM from the funeral home, then to Saint Ann Melkite Catholic Church, 802 Rifle Camp Road, Woodland Park, for a 10:00 AM Funeral Service. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.
Evelyn Agamie, age 90, of Delray Beach, FL and formerly of Paterson, passed away peacefully on Thursday February 5, 2015 at her son’s home in Branford, CT, surrounded by her loving family.
Evelyn was born in Phillipsburg, NJ in 1924, one of Naim and Zekia (Makoujy) Mowad’s four children. Evelyn’s family was very close-knit and, because she adored her mom, she quit school when Mom became ill so she could step in to help raise her brothers.
Before World War I, Evelyn’s grandmother, Sadie Makoujy, came to the USA from Alepo, Syria to escape religious persecution. After the war, Sadye sent for her daughter Zekia and son Joseph who came through Ellis Island in 1921 and settled in Phillipsburg, NJ. Evelyn was born in Phillipsburg and moved to Brooklyn, NY in 1940 working in the garment district. In 1941 her family returned to New Jersey, settling in Paterson.
Evelyn met her beloved husband Louis at a church party in 1941. They fell in love and, upon Louis’ return from service during World War II as a soldier in the U.S. Army Air Corps, they exchanged their wedding vows before family and friends on September 29, 1946 at Sacred Heart Armenian Catholic Church in Paterson. Following a honeymoon at Niagara Falls and in Montreal, they settled in a house on Washington Street in Paterson. There, Evelyn gave birth to three fine boys – Louis, Norman and Richard. Evelyn dedicated herself to making sure her boys were blessed with a great up-bringing and providing a loving home for them and her husband Louis. Meanwhile, she also worked as an integral member of the family business – Agamie Brothers Delicatessen in Clifton where she often took her boys to work with her. Because she was such a great cook and baker, she later went on to hold other executive chef positions. Her family felt so blessed to be the lucky recipients of Evelyn’s culinary skills. Some of their favorite dishes that she made included her stuffed grape leaves and anything she made with lamb including shish kabob. Her own favorites included chicken parmesan and fried cat fish. Evelyn’s pastries were renowned and she was all too glad to send them to you wherever you lived. When you called to say thanks, she always asked, “any of my pastries break?” Of course, the answer was always no because she fastidiously wrapped each one individually. After all, she was the consummate perfectionist! In 1959 Evelyn and Louis moved from Washington Street to Lexington Ave., also in Paterson. They remained there for another 30 years before moving permanently to Delray Beach, FL in 1989. Her beloved Louis passed away in 1997 after 50 years in a loving marriage. After his passing, Evelyn remained in Florida to the present.
Evelyn’s faith was central to her life. A long-time parishioner of St. Ann Melkite Church in Woodland Park (formerly called West Paterson) and Sacred Heart Armenian Catholic Church in Little Falls, when she and Louis moved to Florida, they noticed that many of their friends from St. Ann Melkite Church were also in that area during the winter. Missing their Eastern Catholic traditions, they desired to have their own church, since the only Melkite Church in Florida was in Miami, an hour’s drive south. So, with the close collaboration of Magdi Negm, a Melkite who lived in Boca Raton all year, and later a deacon in the church, they found names in the phone books in the area and started to enlist them to join their new mission. That mission later became St. Nicholas Church, now a full-fledged parish, with a lovely new church building, on Lake Ida Road in Delray Beach. This church was established in 1990, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. For her dedication and steadfast commitment, Evelyn was awarded, in 2000, the Cross of Jerusalem, the highest award given by the Melkite Catholic Patriarch.
Evelyn adored her boys and grandchildren. When the boys were young, the family took vacations to Wildwood, always the last two weeks of summer. Evelyn’s family along with a whole circle of close friends always rented a place right on the beach. Usually it was a place called the Lamp Post. Everyone enjoyed the sun and the ocean and beach, and the kids all went to the boardwalk at night. You always knew when it was the last day of vacation because Jerry Lewis’ muscular dystrophy telethon was always playing on the television. When her boys married and blessed her and Louis with grandchildren, Evelyn loved to teach the little ones about the Syrian customs, including the wonderful foods and music and dance. When she moved to Florida, she regularly invited the grandchildren down to visit, oftentimes paying for their trip. Everyone came to Florida to celebrate hers and Louis’ 50th wedding anniversary and most recently to celebrate her 90th birthday just last year in September.
Evelyn and Louis were blessed with many great friendships throughout their lives. On Friday and Saturday nights they were always out with the friends that they had made throughout the years from church and through the American Legion where Louis was active as a result of his military service.
Evelyn will always be remembered for her beauty both within and on the outside. She was classy and dignified. Her strong, courageous and independent spirit was an inspiration to all who knew her.
Evelyn was predeceased by her beloved husband Louis; she is survived by her three loving sons: Louis (Stacie) Agamie of Portland, OR, Norman (Donna) Agamie of Freemansburg, PA, and Richard (Evelyn) Agamie of Branford, CT; her seven adored grandchildren: Lisa, Emilie, Jennifer, Brian, Wenwen, Jordan and Justin; her adored great-granddaughter Ava; and her dear brothers: Anthony Mowad of Paterson, George Mowad of Woodland Park, and the late Edward Mowad. Evelyn is also survived by her many wonderful and loving friends in Florida.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 from 2-4 and 6-8 PM.
Services will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 9:00 AM from the funeral home, then to Saint Ann Melkite Catholic Church, 802 Rifle Camp Road, Woodland Park, for a 10:00 AM Funeral Service. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 from 2-4 and 6-8 PM.
Services will be held on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at 9:00 AM from the funeral home, then to Saint Ann Melkite Catholic Church, 802 Rifle Camp Road, Woodland Park, for a 10:00 AM Funeral Service. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa.
Evelyn Agamie, age 90, of Delray Beach, FL and formerly of Paterson, passed away peacefully on Thursday February 5, 2015 at her son’s home in Branford, CT, surrounded by her loving family.
Evelyn was born in Phillipsburg, NJ in 1924, one of Naim and Zekia (Makoujy) Mowad’s four children. Evelyn’s family was very close-knit and, because she adored her mom, she quit school when Mom became ill so she could step in to help raise her brothers.
Before World War I, Evelyn’s grandmother, Sadie Makoujy, came to the USA from Alepo, Syria to escape religious persecution. After the war, Sadye sent for her daughter Zekia and son Joseph who came through Ellis Island in 1921 and settled in Phillipsburg, NJ. Evelyn was born in Phillipsburg and moved to Brooklyn, NY in 1940 working in the garment district. In 1941 her family returned to New Jersey, settling in Paterson.
Evelyn met her beloved husband Louis at a church party in 1941. They fell in love and, upon Louis’ return from service during World War II as a soldier in the U.S. Army Air Corps, they exchanged their wedding vows before family and friends on September 29, 1946 at Sacred Heart Armenian Catholic Church in Paterson. Following a honeymoon at Niagara Falls and in Montreal, they settled in a house on Washington Street in Paterson. There, Evelyn gave birth to three fine boys – Louis, Norman and Richard. Evelyn dedicated herself to making sure her boys were blessed with a great up-bringing and providing a loving home for them and her husband Louis. Meanwhile, she also worked as an integral member of the family business – Agamie Brothers Delicatessen in Clifton where she often took her boys to work with her. Because she was such a great cook and baker, she later went on to hold other executive chef positions. Her family felt so blessed to be the lucky recipients of Evelyn’s culinary skills. Some of their favorite dishes that she made included her stuffed grape leaves and anything she made with lamb including shish kabob. Her own favorites included chicken parmesan and fried cat fish. Evelyn’s pastries were renowned and she was all too glad to send them to you wherever you lived. When you called to say thanks, she always asked, “any of my pastries break?” Of course, the answer was always no because she fastidiously wrapped each one individually. After all, she was the consummate perfectionist! In 1959 Evelyn and Louis moved from Washington Street to Lexington Ave., also in Paterson. They remained there for another 30 years before moving permanently to Delray Beach, FL in 1989. Her beloved Louis passed away in 1997 after 50 years in a loving marriage. After his passing, Evelyn remained in Florida to the present.
Evelyn’s faith was central to her life. A long-time parishioner of St. Ann Melkite Church in Woodland Park (formerly called West Paterson) and Sacred Heart Armenian Catholic Church in Little Falls, when she and Louis moved to Florida, they noticed that many of their friends from St. Ann Melkite Church were also in that area during the winter. Missing their Eastern Catholic traditions, they desired to have their own church, since the only Melkite Church in Florida was in Miami, an hour’s drive south. So, with the close collaboration of Magdi Negm, a Melkite who lived in Boca Raton all year, and later a deacon in the church, they found names in the phone books in the area and started to enlist them to join their new mission. That mission later became St. Nicholas Church, now a full-fledged parish, with a lovely new church building, on Lake Ida Road in Delray Beach. This church was established in 1990, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. For her dedication and steadfast commitment, Evelyn was awarded, in 2000, the Cross of Jerusalem, the highest award given by the Melkite Catholic Patriarch.
Evelyn adored her boys and grandchildren. When the boys were young, the family took vacations to Wildwood, always the last two weeks of summer. Evelyn’s family along with a whole circle of close friends always rented a place right on the beach. Usually it was a place called the Lamp Post. Everyone enjoyed the sun and the ocean and beach, and the kids all went to the boardwalk at night. You always knew when it was the last day of vacation because Jerry Lewis’ muscular dystrophy telethon was always playing on the television. When her boys married and blessed her and Louis with grandchildren, Evelyn loved to teach the little ones about the Syrian customs, including the wonderful foods and music and dance. When she moved to Florida, she regularly invited the grandchildren down to visit, oftentimes paying for their trip. Everyone came to Florida to celebrate hers and Louis’ 50th wedding anniversary and most recently to celebrate her 90th birthday just last year in September.
Evelyn and Louis were blessed with many great friendships throughout their lives. On Friday and Saturday nights they were always out with the friends that they had made throughout the years from church and through the American Legion where Louis was active as a result of his military service.
Evelyn will always be remembered for her beauty both within and on the outside. She was classy and dignified. Her strong, courageous and independent spirit was an inspiration to all who knew her.
Evelyn was predeceased by her beloved husband Louis; she is survived by her three loving sons: Louis (Stacie) Agamie of Portland, OR, Norman (Donna) Agamie of Freemansburg, PA, and Richard (Evelyn) Agamie of Branford, CT; her seven adored grandchildren: Lisa, Emilie, Jennifer, Brian, Wenwen, Jordan and Justin; her adored great-granddaughter Ava; and her dear brothers: Anthony Mowad of Paterson, George Mowad of Woodland Park, and the late Edward Mowad. Evelyn is also survived by her many wonderful and loving friends in Florida.
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