Hana Rashid

Hana was born in Miniara, a small village in northern Lebanon, on September 11, 1929. She was one of six children born to Abdullah and Wadia Saoud. Her mother was ill for many years and Hana cared for her until her death. She became a nurse and worked in an American hospital for several years.  Hana enjoyed fashion at a young age and had many of her clothes made in the city so that her clothes would be unique in her village.

In 1956 Hana went to visit her brother Michel who had moved to Detroit several years earlier. She boarded the Olympia ship and 19 days later landed in New York.  While on her visit, she met her future husband, Jim Rashid, from Lansing, Michigan. They were married in 1957. Hana and Jim raised five children surrounded by Jim’s extended family and a large Lebanese community. Hana was very involved with the Ladies Cedar Club and enjoyed socializing with her many friends.

Hana was an amazing Lebanese cook and made everything from scratch. No shortcuts or fast food for her family. She even had a special oven installed in her basement kitchen to make fresh Lebanese bread!  She also worked for a close friend at Leon’s Homemade Foods & Catering.  She prepared many of the Lebanese foods and catered parties and special events with her husband. Hana loved gardening.  She had a vegetable garden everywhere she lived and was in her garden several times a day.  It was one of her great pleasures.

Hana had many other skills that made her special. She made many of her own clothes and many of her children’s clothes. She also created many other items for family and friends. She knitted sweaters, hats and gloves, crocheted numerous afghans, created many patchwork quilts and created a needlepoint canvas that took two years to complete. Hana loved kids. Even after her own family was grown, she watched a few young children for people who wanted a strong, positive influence on their children. Hana was very interested in technology and used her computer and iPad to manage email and personal finances. She enjoyed following the stock market and traded stocks on her online account on a regular basis.

Hana went to school in Lebanon through sixth grade and wanted to continue her education in the US.  When her children were still young she went to night school to get her high school diploma.  She then attended MSU to earn a nursing degree but unfortunately couldn’t continue as there was not enough time for both family responsibilities and college.  She was proud that all of her five children obtained a college education.

Hana and Jim moved to Florida in 1993 to enjoy retirement in warm weather. For 20 years they enjoyed the warm weather and developed many friendships at Church.  They often went to Jacksonville to visit Lebanese friends and entertained family often each year when their children wanted to get away from the cold winters in Michigan.

She was happy to return to Lansing in 2013 to be near family and longtime friends again as she cherished personal relationships.  One of her favorite things to do was entertain in her home and always with amazing food.  Hana lived her life following her strong Christian values and was a positive influence on her family and so many others.  She was a giving, loving, funny and wise woman and will be missed very much.

Hana was preceded in death by her husband, Jim; parents Abdullah and Wadia Saoud; siblings Michel Saoud, Jamil Saoud, Suheil Saoud, Dalal Zeidan and Adele Kafrouni.  She is survived by her children, Jim Rashid, Joe (Joanna) Rashid, Michelle Gillison, Jeff (Debbie) Rashid and Jerry (Rosaline) Rashid; grandchildren, Etta Rashid, Nola Rashid, Albert (Rachel) Gillison, Alysha (Shawn) DeMay, Brittany Rashid, Brian Rashid, Michelle Rashid and Jimmy Rashid; and great-grandchildren, Becca and Lincoln Gillison and Patrick, Max and Charlie DeMay.

The family will celebrate Hana’s life with visitation Monday, April 24, 2023, at Estes-Leadley Funeral Home, 325 W Washtenaw St, Lansing, MI 48933, from 9:30am to 11am, Funeral Service at 11am, interment will follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.  Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital here:  Make a donation to cure childhood cancer – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org).  The funeral service will be available through livestream here.