Robert Mitchell Haddad passed away peacefully at age 93 on March 8, 2024, in Orono, ME. Born in Brooklyn, NY, in 1930, Robert (Bob) was the son of the late Nadra and Hadbo (Trabulsi) Haddad. He was predeceased in 2020 by his wife of 57 years, Helen (Rogerson) Haddad, and by his son, George, in 1998. His brother, William A. Haddad, also predeceased him. He is survived by his three daughters, Emily Haddad (John Erikson) of Orono, ME; Leila Borowsky (Mark) of Needham, MA; and Josette Haddad (Roderick Ventura) of Rio Rancho, NM; eight grandchildren: Milo, Sonja, and Molly Ventura; Philip (Rose), Robert (August), and Theo Erikson; and Jonathan and Daniel Borowsky. He also leaves his sister and brother-in-law, Josette and John Generale, and many dear relatives and friends.
Bob received his BS from the University of Pittsburgh in 1952, his MA in Near Eastern studies from the University of Michigan in 1954, and his PhD in history/Middle Eastern studies from Harvard in 1965. He spent most of his career at Smith College in Northampton, MA, where he taught history and religion from 1963 to 1993 and retired as Sophia Smith Professor Emeritus of History. His primary academic interests were in Islamic history and religion, and he was the author of the book “Syrian Christians in Muslim Society.” After retiring from Smith, he served as president of the American University of Beirut from 1993 to 1996.
Throughout his life, Bob cherished his memories of growing up in Brooklyn, NY, surrounded by many loving family members within the larger Syrian immigrant community, and of playing stickball and hockey with his brother and friends in the neighborhood streets. He attended PS 127 and Brooklyn Technical High School and remained forever grateful to his teachers for the education he received there. During and after his graduate studies in the 1950s and 1960s, he traveled and conducted research in Europe and the Middle East.
He married Helen Rogerson in 1964 and they lived in Northampton, MA, for almost 50 years, raising their children there and working at Smith College. In the late 1960s, he and Helen purchased an old farmhouse in Wendell, MA, where they enjoyed summers and many weekends, restoring the house and spending time with friends and family. He had a great love for poetry and could recite lengthy passages up until his last days. Despite his many years of living in Massachusetts, he was a lifelong, passionate Yankees fan and took their victories and defeats to heart. In his younger years in Northampton, he enjoyed playing city league softball with his Smith College colleagues. Bob delighted in his eight grandchildren and was enormously proud of every one of them.
In 2016, Bob and Helen moved from Northampton to the Dirigo Pines retirement community in Orono, ME, where he made many close friends. His family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff at Dirigo Pines and to his caregivers from Visiting Angels and Gentiva Hospice for their kind and compassionate care.
A service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 14, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center Street, Bangor, ME, with a reception to follow at noon at Dirigo Pines Inn, 9 Alumni Drive, Orono, ME. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory can be made to the Helen R. Haddad Scholarship in Art Fund at the University of Maine Foundation (http://our.umaine.edu/haddad; 2 Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469), to the Friends of the Wendell Free Library (PO Box 236, Wendell, MA 01379), to St. Mary’s Orthodox Church (https://smaoc.squarespace.com/donate; 192 81st Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11209), or to a charity of your choice.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
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Bob received his BS from the University of Pittsburgh in 1952, his MA in Near Eastern studies from the University of Michigan in 1954, and his PhD in history/Middle Eastern studies from Harvard in 1965. He spent most of his career at Smith College in Northampton, MA, where he taught history and religion from 1963 to 1993 and retired as Sophia Smith Professor Emeritus of History. His primary academic interests were in Islamic history and religion, and he was the author of the book “Syrian Christians in Muslim Society.” After retiring from Smith, he served as president of the American University of Beirut from 1993 to 1996.
Throughout his life, Bob cherished his memories of growing up in Brooklyn, NY, surrounded by many loving family members within the larger Syrian immigrant community, and of playing stickball and hockey with his brother and friends in the neighborhood streets. He attended PS 127 and Brooklyn Technical High School and remained forever grateful to his teachers for the education he received there. During and after his graduate studies in the 1950s and 1960s, he traveled and conducted research in Europe and the Middle East.
He married Helen Rogerson in 1964 and they lived in Northampton, MA, for almost 50 years, raising their children there and working at Smith College. In the late 1960s, he and Helen purchased an old farmhouse in Wendell, MA, where they enjoyed summers and many weekends, restoring the house and spending time with friends and family. He had a great love for poetry and could recite lengthy passages up until his last days. Despite his many years of living in Massachusetts, he was a lifelong, passionate Yankees fan and took their victories and defeats to heart. In his younger years in Northampton, he enjoyed playing city league softball with his Smith College colleagues. Bob delighted in his eight grandchildren and was enormously proud of every one of them.
In 2016, Bob and Helen moved from Northampton to the Dirigo Pines retirement community in Orono, ME, where he made many close friends. His family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff at Dirigo Pines and to his caregivers from Visiting Angels and Gentiva Hospice for their kind and compassionate care.
A service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 14, at Brookings-Smith, 133 Center Street, Bangor, ME, with a reception to follow at noon at Dirigo Pines Inn, 9 Alumni Drive, Orono, ME. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory can be made to the Helen R. Haddad Scholarship in Art Fund at the University of Maine Foundation (http://our.umaine.edu/haddad; 2 Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469), to the Friends of the Wendell Free Library (PO Box 236, Wendell, MA 01379), to St. Mary’s Orthodox Church (https://smaoc.squarespace.com/donate; 192 81st Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11209), or to a charity of your choice.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
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