Raymond George Asmar's Obituary
Asmar, Raymond George, 88 of Coconut Grove, Florida passed away on May 13, 2009 due to complications of a stroke. He was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 24, 1921 to Said and Eugenie Asmar of Lebanon. A graduate of the University of Hawaii, he was a sophomore there when the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor. Ray witnessed the bombing from his car stopped on a high point overlooking the harbor as Japanese zeros flew overhead. He joined the Hawaiian Territorial Guard in 1941, and then switched to the Honolulu Police Department where he served as a detective for ten years. During this time, the Asmar home on top of Maunaland Heights served as a “home away from home” for young servicemen. The Asmars were awarded a special citation from the War Department for their contributions to the war effort. In 1954 Ray moved his family to Miami to take over his father’s real estate business. He soon became a prominent Miami Realtor whose career spanned fifty years. He held many positions including past President and Director of the Miami Board of Realtors, District Vice-President and Director of the Florida Association of Realtors, and Director of the National Association of Realtors, to name a few. An articulate speaker, Ray was a spokesperson for the Board and five times brought national honors to the Board for public relations. He was honored as Realtor of the Year, and received five Presidential citations. His leadership and service in the field awarded him twice the Emeritus Lifetime Achievement Award. He was the Chairman of the City of Miami Planning and Advisory Board, and a strong supporter of many charities. He chaired the first county-wide Real Estate division of the United Way. He was a founding member of our Lady of Lebanon Catholic Church. Married for 60 years to his beautiful wife Angele (deceased 2007), he led an exemplary life of love and devotion. Ray was a kind and caring man who drew the respect and affection of those who knew him. He was honorable and a person of high morals. A devout Catholic, he found solace in prayer. He left the world a better place than when he found it, and his absence will leave a void in the community and in our hearts. He is survived by his loving family; children, Norman, Michael and wife Mary Jane, Eugenie and husband Robert Masrieh, Lana and husband Stephen Stricker, M.D.; grandchildren, Mario, Christian, Alana, and Stephen; the Shaheen family in California; the Asmar family in Puerto Rico; the York family in New York; in-laws Wadad Arbid, Fred and Patricia Naaman, and Abbot Paul Naaman; beloved nieces and nephews, the Chartounis, the Arbids, and the Naamans. Visitation 7-9 pm with a prayer service at 8:30 pm Friday at VAN ORSDEL CORAL GABLES. Funeral Service 11:00 am Saturday at Our Lady of Lebanon Catholic Church. Burial Miami Memorial Park.
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