Claudette Halabi

Claudette was born on July 31, 1945, in Bzemmar. She grew up in Mdawwar – Beirut, and attended Al-Azarieh School until her graduation. She later became a teacher in the same school. After she got married, she quit teaching to become a full time mom with three children who eventually left Lebanon as a result to the narrow economic opportunities available here.

She was loving, helpful, and compassionate. Claudette's only sorrow was living away from her children. She was lonely, yet she occupied herself with a most noble cause.

Claudette was not only a mother and a teacher, she was also an angel. She volunteered in her community, prepared food and provided medicine for those in need.

On August 4, Claudette prepared lunch with the help of her live-in housekeeper, and sent it to the needy, as she would do every day. Suddenly, as she sat down to rest, warehouse number 12 exploded at the Port of Beirut, sending shock waves throughout the city. Her daughter in law, Chantal, tried to call her but she never answered her phone. Chantal drove from Dbaye to Beirut to check on Claudette, and found her building in ruins.

She called for help, hoping to rescue her mother in law from the rubble. The Ethiopian helper's body was found first, but there was no sign of Claudette. On the second day, civil defense teams conducted a thorough search, and found Claudette's dead body. Her corpse remained in the morgue for three more days awaiting the arrival of her children who will be burying her instead of taking her in their arms, telling her how much they missed her.

Her family bid her farewell, knowing deep down that her legacy, love, and giving shall survive. She served God, applying the bible's Matthew 25:35 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat”. Humans like Claudette will forever be in God's heart.