RICHARD MELAD BASILA's Obituary
Basila, Richard, 82, a lifelong resident of Miami, entered into eternal life on Sept. 24th surrounded by his loving family. H was devoted to his family, his church, his heritage and his community in countless ways. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 55 years, Barbara; his children Richard, Jr., John (Dalia), Beverly and Jennifer (Javier) Castillo; five grandchildren and many other family members and dear friends. Richard graduated form Gesu High School in 1952, attended the University of Notre Dame, graduated from FSU with a degree in Business Administration in 1956 and attended the University of Miami School of Law. Following school, he obtained his Real Estate Broker's license and worked for over a half-century in the Real Estate business-first as co-owner with his late sister, Gloria, of Basila Realty Company in Downtown Miami, and later as a Real Estate Appraiser. Devoted to his community and Lebanese heritage, he along with his wife Barbara were active members of the Salam Club of Miami. For many years, he co-hosted a weekly radio show with news and entertainment focused on his heritage. He was a founding member of St. Jude Melkite Catholic Church and worked tirelessly to establish the parish and acquire the church property where it sits along Brickell Avenue. He and his wife Barbara were faithful and active members of the parish and he served many years on the Board of the Parish Council and Building Committee. He co-chaired the National Melkite conventions hosted by St. Jude. He was an active member of the Knights of Columbus. He was bestowed the cross of Jerusalem from the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch in recognition of his devotion to the Holy Land and his services to the Patriarchate. Visitation will be held on Thursday , Sept. 29 from 6 pm - 9 pm at St. Jude Melkite Church (126 SE 15 Road). The funeral liturgy will be celebrated on Friday, Sept. 30th at 11:30 am at St. Jude. Burial at Woodlawn Park Cemetery North.
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