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In memory of

Elie "Lee" Joseph Saliba

Bonita Springs, Florida

November 15, 1928 - November 27, 2021

Nov 15, 1928 - Nov 27, 2021

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Elie (Lee) Joseph Saliba, 93, died November 27, 2021 with his family by his side at Hope Hospice in Bonita Springs, FL.

Lee was born November 15, 1928 in Beirut, Lebanon to Joseph Saliba and Adele Khoury. Lee immigrated to the United States in 1949 with hopes of building a better life. He entered Ellis Island at the young age of 19, alone and with $100 in his pocket. While most immigrants dreamed of owning an automobile, by 1959, Lee owned a Chrysler dealership in Lexington Park, MD.

As most Lebanese immigrants, he was a serial entrepreneur. In the very early years, he was a distributor for RC Cola and he owned Esso (Exxon) stations. He sold cars, he built homes, he manufactured mattresses, he distributed American food products in the Middle East. As a nod to his homeland and reminiscent of the beautiful Jeita Grotto in Beirut Lebanon, he purchased the Endless Caverns in New Market, VA. He grappled with his lifelong love/hate relationship with the automobile business and even led a project to reintroduce the luxury automobile marque, the Packard, first introduced in 1899 and last produced in 1956, the same year Lee became an American citizen.

Lee lived most of his life in McLean, VA where he raised his family and attended St. John Roman Catholic Church. At the young age of 90 and finally ready to retire, Lee loaded his car on the Auto Train and landed in Florida. He enjoyed his last few years in Bonita Springs, FL where he attended St Leo's Catholic Church.

Lee was a self-made man, the epitome of the “American Dream” a paragon of virtue, independence, and success. Work, Church, family and shopping for fresh produce and meats were his passion.

Lee is survived by his ex-wife, Nemat Saliba; his daughter and son-in-law, Mona and John Oswald, his daughter, Rania Malek; his sons; Adel Saliba and Richard Saliba; and his 3 grandsons; Adam MacLaury, Brian MacLaury and Camran Malek. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Abraham Saliba and Fouad Saliba and his sister Latifa Asmar.

A private service for the family will be held on November 29th at the chapel in Hope Hospice in Bonita Springs and a Celebration of Life will be planned in Washington, DC at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a small donation towards helping the humanitarian crisis in his beloved Lebanon to The Rene Moawad Foundation in his name.
rmfusa.org

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