In Memoriam
Our condolences to the families of our beloved departed friends.
Please help us honour our departed loved ones by posting the obituary notice here.
Unser Beileid an die Familien unserer geliebten verstorbenen Freunde.
Bitte helfen Sie uns unsere lieben Verstorbenen zu ehren indem sie die Todesanzeige hier veröffentlichen.
Nos condoléances aux familles de nos chers amis défunts.
Veuillez nous aider à honorer nos proches défunts en affichant ici l’avis de décès.
Captain Gamal El Din Lotfy
July 1935 - 9 February 2018
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Born In Alexandria, Captain Gamal was the pilot for Egptian Presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar El Sadat and Hosny Mubarak.
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The photo shows him in the cockpit of the airplane that carried President Sadat to Tel Aviv on Saturday November 19, 1977.
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Captain Gamal is the father of Wael, Bassel, Riad and Sherif Lotfy.
Anna Peter-Saita
30 July 1925 - 5 March 2016
My mother, Anna Saita, an Italian citizen of Monza, was born in Cairo, Egypt. She lost her father when she was 2 years old but was raised by a loving stepfather. She and her 3 year older sister Nanda grew up in Alexandria where they both visited the English Girls College.
At 21 she married my father Serge Conrad Peter in Alexandria (1947) and they had 2 children (Sylvie C. M. 1948 & Rudolf 1950). The family lived in Rushdy.In 1957, after the fall of the monarchy of King Farouk, the political situation in Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser was very unstable and my father decided to move with his family to Switzerland where he took up a job as a foreign representative with Swissair in Zurich.
Since my father had to work in many countries and on different continents, my mother was an exemplary representative at his side. She supported my father in all areas - She was the alter ego of my father and both formed a perfect unity.
In 2000, my parents decided to move to a retirement home in Locarno, Ticino. This decision, they never regretted as they spent 16 happy years there. After my father's passing on 22 January of this year, my mother fell ill with pneumonia, which she was able to overcome. However, she could not imagine life without her husband, my father. She spoke of plans she had, but her heart was broken and she decided to let herself die. On 5 March 2016 she fell asleep peacefully with almost 91 years.
My mother was fortunate to enjoy a wonderful and rich life. She was a very elegant and always cheerful person who never complained and never spoke badly of others – she was a real lady. My parents were married for 68 years and enjoyed a full and beautiful life spared from serious illnesses.I deeply grieve my dear mother’s unexpected death, whose memory I will always keep in loving memory.
Written by her daughter, Sylvie Peter
Dr. Ahmed Ezzat Abdel Hafiz Mohamed Abdo (Dr. Abdo)
20 July 1925 - 14 February 2016.
Dr. Abdo, born in Berkat Ghattaz, Beheira Egypt, passed away peacefully at the age of 90 at home in Alexandria surrounded by his loving family.
His academic career began following his graduation from Cairo University 1947.
Between Cairo, England and Canada, dr. Abdo ended up with two B. Sc degrees and two Ph.D. degrees; he then moved to Alexandria 1955 where he assisted in establishing The High Institute of Public Health where he served most of his career ending with the title Head of Food Hygiene and Food Control Department.
Dr. Abdo also served as a visiting professor at Giessen university in Germany and Head of the microbiology department at the faculty of medicine Alepo University Syria.
His unique experience made him the perfect candidate to join the WHO since 1961 where he mainly performed as field officer in various capacities serving mainly in Africa to combat tropical diseases. By the end of his long and fruitful career, Dr. Abdo list of achievements included participation in the discovery of the Ebola virus and Tsetse fly, obtaining several honorary Ph. Ds degrees, twice winner of the Medical Research Prize and once recipient of The Order of Merit of the first class, along with dozens of certified medical publications. Reaching retirement in 1985, the WHO retained his services as Consultant for the organization.
The young and beautiful Claudine Dubois (1934) from la Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland just arrived to London England 1951 to study English language; she was invited to attend a party with other students the same night of her arrival. Dr. Abdo was also present in the same party, as soon as he laid eyes on the young Swiss beauty it was love on first sight; three years later they were married.
Together they had Dr. Magda(CH) , Eng. Chadia (Egypt) and Pharm. Karim (passed away in 1997) they are proud grandparents of Adel, Indjy, Dina, Selim, Lara and Karim as well as great grandparents of Youssef and Lara.
Dr. Abdo was an appreciated member of the Alexandrian society, an eager participant in charity field work and a fan of the Opera and Bibliotheca Alexandrina cultural activities.
He was an active member of several clubs (Ahly/Sporting/Etihad); President of the Rotary Alex club (2008/2009) and of the Geriatric home (Dar el Saada).
Dr. Abdo was the enthusiast Treasurer & Vice president of the Swiss Club in Alexandria for the past 18 years.
RIP Daddy dearest, you will be forever loved and forever missed.
Your daughter Magda.
Serge Conrad Peter
6 July 1923 - 22 January 2016.
Dear reader,
Since the multifaceted and rich life of my father, Serge Conrad Peter, is comparable to that of a history book, I am rendering only an abridged version.
He was born on 6 July 1923 in Galati, Romania of Conrad J. V. Peter (Swiss from Wiesendangen) & Elena Abramoff (Romanian from Galati). He had three younger brothers: Guido C., Henri and Jean-Jacques.
At age two, the family left Galati since his father Conrad had been transferred to Alexandria by his employer the Italian company Stagni Wood.
My father completed his schooling at Collège Saint Marc in Alexandria and started working with Reinhart & Co. at the age of 22.
In 1947 he married Anna Saita (Cairo-born Italian) in Alexandria and they had two children (Sylvie C. M., 1948 and Rudolf 1950); the family lived in Rushdy.
After the overthrow of the monarchy by Gamal Abdel Nasser, the political situation in Egypt became very unstable and he decided in 1957 to emigrate with his family to Zürich, Switzerland.
Aside from French, English, Italian, German, and Spanish, his knowledge of Arabic was an asset in his career with Swissair, where he worked as foreign representative in practically all the continents until his retirement.
After his last post in Dakar, Senegal in 1988, he returned with my mother to live in Zürich until 2000, when they decided to move to a senior citizens' residence in Locarno, Ticino. This decision they never regretted.
His parents remained in Egypt until their death and are both buried in a family grave in Alexandria; his three brothers also left Egypt - Jean-Jacques to Harare, Zimbabwe, Henri to Geneva and Guido to Zürich, Switzerland.
My father was a tough negotiator, an excellent speaker but also a fair, warm-hearted and humorous person with a strong personality.We deeply mourn his unexpected passing on 22 January 2016 (pulmonary oedema) and will always cherish his memory.
Sylvie Peter (daughter)
Monseigneur Joseph Roduit
17 December 1939 - 17 December 2015.
Born in Saillon, Valais. After studying theology at Fribourg University, he became priest in September 1965 and served in Volleges and Bagnes in Sion.
He joined the Abbey of Saint-Maurice in 1984 and was elected Abbot in 1999.
He orchestrated the Abbey's 15th Centennial festivities which took place from September 2014 to September 2015. However by 17 December 2014 he resigned and continued to serve and perform as an Administrator.
Werner Twerenbold
15 October 1946 - 1 December 2015.
The Twerenbold family business established in Baden since 1895. Mr Werner Twerenbold - the third generation - deveveloped the company into one of the largest tourist service providers in Switzerland and Europe with a large fleet of coaches, cruise ships and other tourist services.
Mr W. Twerenbold was also an active community member serving the Canton of Aargau.
His wife, Nazly Twerenbold El Etriby from Cairo, Egypt, assisted in the company's development. Today, their son, Karim Twerenbold, fourth generation born in 1985, heads the Twerenbold group.
Elizabeth Adele Saad (nee Lucian)
March 28th, 1930 - November 4th, 2015
Born and raised in Baar, Zug, Switzerland. She studied and worked there till she moved to London UK in the early 1950s. The story goes that as she was walking down the steps of an underground station in London, her heal broke, losing her balance she fell into the arms of a man a few steps below. That man was an Egyptian studying in London, Dr. Mohamed Saad. The rest is history.
Once married, they moved to Alexandria, Egypt where she got to learn the language and appreciate the culture. She raised her family of three children (Rashad, Raouf and Suzan) while working as the headmistress of the English Boys School kindergarten. She was also, the president of the International Ladies Club, an organization that aimed at charity work and help the interaction of different cultures.
The family traveled throughout the world and ended up in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. While in her 50s she went back to school and worked at the Alberta Legislator for 10 years. She was the president of the Edmonton Swiss Society to continue her charitable work and the infusion of cultures.
Dr. Saad was a Professor at Alexandria University, Faculty of Engineering; he passed away 2004.
(Written by her son, Mr. Rashad Saad)
