May Khalil Kassicieh

On Saturday, October 1, 2022, May Khalil Kassicieh, loving and devoted aunt, sister, niece, godmother, and friend, passed away at age 64.

May was born in Amman, Jordan on June 18, 1958 to her parents Raoufeh and Khalil Kassicieh. She immigrated to the U.S. for her university studies at the age of 21, and studied education at The University of New Mexico. May worked at Albuquerque Public Schools for 20+ years, and was passionate about teaching. After retiring, she taught Arabic courses and stayed involved with the community through volunteering her time to various activities. 

May was passionate about her embroidery work, a craft and an art she learned from her mother at a young age. Throughout her life, she made many beautiful tatreez pieces for her family and friends, and was proud of the intricate and colorful work she and her mother made. Her embroidery was a celebration of her Palestinian heritage and identity, which she loved sharing with everyone she met. She was also passionate about family and Palestinian history, and sharing stories with her nieces, nephews, and friends. May loved attending mass at St. George and St. Elias, and enjoyed watching mass services at Mar Yacoub, a church in her hometown of Jerusalem, Palestine.

May was known for her calm, kind and generous spirit, and was always bringing everyone together with her delicious cooking. May had a gift for gardening and loved giving everyone peaches, apricots, and figs from her trees. She is survived by her brother Samir, her sister Heyam, her nieces Christina, Lena, and Katina, her nephews Alexander, Christian, Charles and her uncle Naim. May and her niece Lena were working together on a book about the Kassicieh family history, and Lena will continue working on it and it will be published in her memory. The family will miss her immensely, and will always cherish and honor her memory and her legacy.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like any donations to be sent to St. Elias (Santa Fe) or St. George Church (Albuquerque) or to the