Beloved Palestinian Professor at Loyola University Passes Away Suddenly

Dr. Fadel Abdallah, a Palestinian professor at Loyola University Chicago, passed away suddenly this past Thursday.

Reports on campus state that Dr. Abdullah suffered a heart attack before leaving his office to teach class.

According to a statement released by Loyola’s Department of Modern Languages and Literature (MLL), Dr. Abdallah was born in the Canary Islands in Spain and taught the Arabic 101-102 sequence.

He was known for his “erudition, his passion for his subject, and his dedication to his students. The Department Chair, Dr. Susana Cavallo, recounts that when all of the spaces had fillled for his spring Arabic 102 course, he offered his services gratis [free] so that all of his students could continue their Arabic language studies.”

Many students remember Dr. Abdallah fondly as well. Sophomore Sausan Loutfi took his Arabic 102 class during the Spring semester of 2015 and recollects that he “truly cared for his students. He was just a very personable and hospitable person. He had a lot of jokes to tell, but maintained a very calm presence that I always appreciated. He was easy to love.”

Another student, junior Abed Dakhel also loved him.

“He was such a good guy. He was that type of guy that had a smile on his face all the time. I remember he got food for everyone at the end of the year for all his students, and he always explained Arab culture through stories that helped us learn Arabic, especially for non-native speakers,” Dakhel said.

Dr. Abdallah leaves behind his wife Cyncia.

His “janazah” (Islamic prayer) will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Islamic Community Center of Illinois.