Abdel Karim-Conrado's Obituary
Abdel Karim-Conrado, Ph-D, 86 years old of Palmetto Bay, Florida, passed away on
September 30, 2024.
Abdel was born in Jinotepe, Nicaragua, on June 22, 1938. He matriculated at the Colegio
Bautista in Managua where he played soccer and excelled at track. He then achieved his
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua
(UNAN). He went on to earn a Master's in Civil Engineering and a Doctorate of Philosophy at the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1967. He then returned to Nicaragua and became
Dean of the School of Engineering at UNAN. In 1972, he founded Karim-Darce y Asociados, and from 1984 onward, he continued his decades-long career in South Florida.
Abdel was a engineer who worked on many important projects in his native Nicaragua.
These projects included the construction of Puerto de Corinto, Nicaragua’s principal
port on the Pacific coast, as well as the privatization of Empresa Nacional de Electricidad
(ENEL), the largest utility company in Nicaragua. While working as a consulting engineer in
the United States, he was responsible for designing a number of bridges across Florida. He was
a fan of the Miami Marlins and the Miami Heat, a coffee aficionado, and a lifelong scholar. Always
keen to keep his mind sharp, his hobbies ranged from learning Arabic to reading poetry, such as
Gibran and Neruda. He loved to travel and often enjoyed the research and planning of a trip as
much as the trip itself.
He was preceded in death by his dear parents, Abdel Karim Dahud and Blanca Conrado; dear
sister Lesbia Karim and loving wife of 46 years, Maritza Genoveva Urroz.
He is survived by his beloved wife Myrtha Elissa Rodriguez de Karim; sisters Yamila Karim, Ida
Karim and Myriam Conrado (Silvio); sons Abdel Jose (Kathryn), David (Larysa), Yamil
Humberto (Carolina); beloved Abuelo to Christian, Yasmina, Lucia, David, and Stella; and step-
children Gina Ngyuen (Thang), Ivo Martinez (Carla), Rodrigo Martinez and step-grandchildren
Elisa, Gabriel, Patrick and Analiese.
A Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 3, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. at the Van Orsdel.
Funeral Home 11220 North Kendall Drive, Miami, Florida 33176
Funeral Mass will be Friday, October 4 9:00 a.m. at St. Louis Catholic Church 7270 SW 120 th St.
Pinecrest, Florida 33156.
Interment is on Friday, October 4, 12:00 p.m. The Gardens of Boca Raton, 4103 North Military
Trail, Boca Raton, Florida 33431
The family suggests donations in lieu of flowers be made to Redemptoris Mater Archdiocesan
Missionary Seminary of Miami www.rmmiami.org or to Boys Town www.boystown.org
What’s your fondest memory of Abdel?
What’s a lesson you learned from Abdel?
Share a story where Abdel's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Abdel you’ll never forget.
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