Teaching history and making history are usually mutually exclusive acts, but not for Mounir Aboudaoud Farah. Mounir had a lifetime of defying the odds and making history in his own right.

Mounir Farah ended his lifetime of history-making on Nov. 8, 2024, surrounded by loved ones, whom he lovingly dubbed “the peanut gallery.”

Born in Damascus, Syria in 1938, Mounir immigrated to the United States at the age of 22 to continue his education and be with his extended family. He was very active in politics in Syria and continued his pursuit of those interests in the United States.

He would meet his wife of 62 long and loving years, Everal Montez Goodfellow Farah, at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. A lifelong educator, Mounir started his career in the booming metropolis of Edson, Kansas (his own words), where he taught social studies and where Mounir and Montez began raising their 2-week-old son, Theodore Shookry Farah.

The couple would later welcome two more children into their family when the two moved to Connecticut, Jennie Jamileh Farah Alves and Teresa Mounia Farah. Mounir and Montez have also been blessed with five grandchildren, all of whom have been touched by their grandfather’s love of history: Isabella Sophia Alves, Carmen Allegra Alves, Julia Marie Farah, Lucas Mounir Farah, and Mia Farah Al Ansari.

Mounir would later go on to get his doctoral degree in Middle East and Modern European History from New York University. He would then move to Arkansas with Montez to serve as associate director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies and would later retire as a professor emeritus from the College of Education at the university.

Mounir Farah is perhaps best remembered through the words of his loved ones.

One of the ways he inspired his children and grandchildren is through their love of the written word.

“Never has a man carried a mind so full of knowledge and mirth. With an imagination that knew no bounds, my Grandfather taught me the importance of the written word. Of weaving dreams into beautiful stories. Everything I write is for him,” Carmen Alves, a creative writing graduate from the University of Arkansas, said.

She plans on spending her career as a middle school librarian teaching kids the importance of storytelling, just like Mounir taught her. His youngest grandchild, Mia, was inspired by Mounir’s love of history and politics to pursue a position as a U.S. Senate page – a position she currently holds in his honor.

“Grandpa was the kindest, funniest, and smartest man I have ever met. He brought everyone together. He made people laugh, taught them knowledge, and never judged,” Mia said. “I learned the art of laughter through his silly jokes that never failed to make me laugh. I learned the strength in knowledge and how he uses wisdom to bring us together.”

Mounir is a storyteller in his own right, weaving the facts of history into tapestries of stories for his readers in his bestselling textbooks “World History: The Human Experience,” published by McGraw-Hill, and “Global Insights,” published by McGraw-Hill, among many other books and publications. But this is only a singular part of his legacy.

Mounir’s eldest grandchild, Isabella, plans on continuing his legacy through her own writing and hopes to one day create curricula for Middle Eastern studies programs like her Grandfather taught her. She hopes to promote a better understanding and love of the Middle East as seen through her Grandfather’s eyes.

Besides history, Mounir also shared a love of music and enjoyed the expression and emotions opera could convey.

“My dad brought his love for music into our home. He always encouraged my exploration of music through singing, playing cello and piano,” said his daughter Jennie. “His joy for music is my inspiration. Dad, you have inspired me to spread my passion for music to others. ‘Life is a song, love is the music,’ and I love you for bringing music into my life.”

Jennie continues Mounir’s legacy through her career teaching middle school music at McNair Middle School in Arkansas, where she was awarded “Teacher of the Year.”

Mounir’s family is establishing a foundation in his name to advance global education and understanding. The foundation will follow his belief that education and cross-cultural understanding are the keys to building bridges between communities and fostering global dialogue.

Mounir was a firm believer in education and promoting understanding between cultures. He believed that if people were educated about one another, it led to greater empathy across cultural barriers.

“For 55 years, you shared with me the lens through which you viewed the world – a world filled with optimism, love, and compassion. You taught me to always lead with humility and grace.  To love without fear, and to give people the benefit of the doubt, and in doing so, understand who they are and where they come from. This way you can more easily sympathize with and maybe even empathize with their situation, difficulties, or plight,” his daughter, Teresa, said.

Teresa carries on Mounir’s legacy through her work as an award-winning international attorney and strategist by bridging cultural divides in global business.

Despite his many accolades later in life, Mounir got his start in the K-12 classroom as a history teacher. These educator values were always at the core of what he did later in life.

“I remember my father as a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a motivator, my confidant, my friend, and my father,” said his son Ted. “He is the reason I am a teacher and coach. He is the reason I finished a BA, MAT, and EDLE (6th year). I have witnessed how he looks at my mother and how she looks at him – they would do anything for each other. He taught me to respect others no matter what their background or job. He taught me to pay it forward. He did not need to be repaid. He wanted you to help others when you can.”

But for his wife, Montez, summarizing his legacy was a little more challenging. Mounir was her life partner. She tended to stay in the background to let Mounir shine in the foreground. He accomplished many things in his life. They shared the same beliefs, values, and perspective of the world, despite growing up an ocean apart.

This is evident in how the two met.

“I was the activity chair of the International Students Organization at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and had to greet new students at the meetings. I called Mounir to remind him of our next ISO meetings. Years later, after we were married when we reminisced, I told him that I called him only, no other ISO members. He thought I called everyone,” Montez said.

“Trying to cement the relationship, I asked my roommates to drive me to the Cedar Club where Mounir was teaching Arabic. After the lesson, I asked where the payphone was so I could call my roommates for a ride. I assumed he would offer, which he did,” she said.

The two were married four months later.