Eternal Be His Memory...
Fawaz Khanachet
March 21, 1943 - March 4, 2021
It is with extreme sadness we report the passing of beloved KSOCA member Fawaz Khanachet. Fawaz attended all of our luncheons with his wife Connie Vrettos Khanachet, as well their daughters and grandchldren. On occasion he baked the Artoklasia bread and prepared luncheon meals for our Panigyri’s. Fawaz was always there to lend a hand. He will be dearly missed by all.
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Fawaz Khanachet passed away peacefully on March 4, 2021 in his home in Danville, CA, surrounded by family. He was called to the Lord after fighting a long, valiant battle with pancreatic cancer over the past two years. He was just a couple weeks shy of his 78th birthday.
Fawaz was born on March 21, 1943 in Damascus, Syria to Rizkallah and Julia Rizk Khanachet. Fawaz received his undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Damascus in 1967, and then moved to San Francisco, CA. He worked for a couple of years before attending graduate school at Stanford University, where he received his Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering in 1971. He met his beloved wife, Connie Vrettos, in 1968 soon after moving to San Francisco. They were married in 1970 and had two daughters, Julianne (Julie), born in 1973, and Dina, born in 1977. Fawaz worked as a civil engineer for various companies in the private sector, ending his career as a Senior Project Manager for the Alameda County General Services Agency where he worked for 15 years until he retired in 2013.
Fawaz was a born leader, and always lived to serve others, whether it was at church, or helping out in the classrooms of his wife and his daughter Julie, who were both teachers. Fawaz was a very active member at the Resurrection Greek Orthodox Church in Castro Valley, where he served in many leadership roles over the years, as a member of the Parish Council, helping at the annual Greek Festival, as well as spearheading the church’s building project capital campaign.
Fawaz was as talented as he was pragmatic. He was an intensely creative spirit and expressed his artistry in the dozens of intricate mosaics he lovingly crafted, many of which were nostalgic scenes of his cherished homeland of Syria, as well as meaningful icons and religious scenes. He was a gifted chef, at his happiest when entertaining friends and family, feeding tremendous meals to everyone lucky enough to visit his kitchen. He was a devoted family man, and thrived when surrounded by people he loved, especially his four grandchildren, Alex, Mary, Ewan, and Ellie. He was adored by everyone who knew him, and he had an unparalleled warmth and welcoming quality that drew people to him instantly. He set the example for everyone around him by epitomizing love, patience and respect, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Fawaz is survived by his wife of 50 years, Connie; daughters Julie (Gavin) Reid, Dina (Scott) Taylor; grandchildren Alex, Mary, and Elena Holton and Ewan Reid; his brother Ramzi (Ragheda) Khanachet, sisters Hind (Fariz) Demetree, Samar Walters; sisters-in-law Evonne (Nikos) Yfantis, Vikki (Thomas) Fraioli; as well as numerous nieces and nephews in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and Jacksonville, Florida.
https://cvresurrection.org/2021/03/09/funeral-arrangements-fawaz-khanachet/?fbclid=IwAR1LI5i4eeTrMrcj9b-BsNUayGAqcEW-P6NWYDM56YqG-OiZoK0GSu9PSxw
