Dr Abdel Aziz Ahmed (Aziz) Nazif, 1930–2023
Dr Aziz Nazif passed away in Vancouver General Hospital, surrounded and comforted by loving family members, on 5 August 2023.
A gentle man and a gentleman, Aziz was born in Cairo, Egypt, to Ahmed Nazif and Aziza Yehia. His father died at a young age, ultimately creating strong bonds between Aziz and his two brothers, Mohamed and Aly.
Aziz studied medicine at Cairo University, specializing in psychiatry. He took his studies to Montreal at McGill University and the Allan Memorial Institute, where he met his future wife, Joan (Ellefson) Nazif. Disliking the cold, they moved to Vancouver, where Aziz practised psychiatry for almost 50 years. Retiring at the age of 82, Aziz said that his work was one of the greatest joys and accomplishments of his life.
Aziz was a kind, perceptive, tolerant, humble, privately religious, and cerebral man. He loved his grandchildren dearly. He was a lifelong learner, had an infallible memory, and was the family repository of information. He learned languages easily and spoke English, Arabic, French, Spanish, and Italian. In his retirement years, he would retreat to his study to deepen his knowledge on a variety of subjects. Aziz immensely enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, such as hosting his family and friends for dinner, good chocolate, a Turkish coffee, juicy oranges, and mangoes.
Grateful until the end, Aziz expressed many times his good fortune for the full life he had lived. He was a man who gave far more than he took and was a beacon of strength and stability. Predeceased by his older brother, Mohamed, he leaves behind his loving wife, Joan; his daughters, Mona (Peter) and Laila; his son, Omar (Laura); his grandchildren, Nicholas, Sebastian, Benjamin, and Sarah; and his brother, Aly. Aziz will be deeply and dearly missed. Donations in his memory can be made to Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation designating Cottonwood Lodge mental health facility as the recipient.
—Omar Nazif, MD, PEng, FRCSC
Vancouver
—Mona Nazif, MBA
Markham, ON
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