A Man of Integrity
1958-2023
Nov/Dec 2023
Loai El-Gazairly, the husband of Dr. Julie A. Belz (former member, ISNA Majlis Ash Shura) passed away on Aug. 22 in Richmond, Va. He was a man of integrity and a model professional who contributed to the Muslim community and American society at large. He was a graduate of the University of Alexandria’s (Egypt) School of Engineering as the valedictorian of his class. He received his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech in civil engineering with a specialization in bridge design.
During his 35-year career, El-Gazairly designed and served as project manager for numerous multimillion-dollar bridges and interchanges worldwide, including Boston’s Central Tunnel, Maryland’s Purple Line Metro, Delaware’s Indian River Inlet Bridge, the I-64 Interchange in St. Louis, Louisiana’s John James Audubon Bridge and Virginia’s I-895 Pocahontas Parkway. At the time of his death, he was the project manager for the District of Columbia’s 11th Street Bridge Park.
El-Gazairly was the son of Judge Farid Fahmy El-Gazairly, former chief justice of the Egyptian Court of Appeals, and Siza El-Gohary, a certified descendent (musharif) of the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). His paternal grandfather was a poet and scholar whose works are housed in the Library of Alexandria and featured in an Egyptian documentary. His maternal grandfather was a navy admiral who commanded the defense of Egypt’s 1,000-mile Mediterranean coast.
While El-Gazairly’s career accomplishments are considerable, his greatest qualities were his devotion to his family and his deen, the practice of which was interwoven throughout his community and domestic life. He was constantly participating in sadaqa, including housing and feeding refugees, tutoring math students, and funding medical procedures and hajj for the miskeen. A warm-hearted and fun-loving husband, he was generous and kind, always smiling at his wife, praying with her at home before work and after dinner and taking her to the mosque for tarawih prayers.
One of her best memories is a shining example of his kindness and deen. Although he had made hajj and umra several times, he wanted to complete another umra with his wife before his passing. However, when the time came for their trip in December 2022, she had to stay home to care for her mother in home hospice. While in Makkah, he facetimed with her so she could view his running between Safa and Marwa and when he was close to the Ka‘bah so she could make du’a for her dying mother in its view.
El-Gazairly is survived by his wife, two daughters, one stepdaughter, two stepsons, two nephews, his mother, and brother.
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