Wadi D. Haddad's Obituary
Wadi D. Haddad, 83, of Ashburn, VA, passed away on 14 February 2024, at 6:30 pm.
Born on March 14, 1941, in Aindara, Lebanon, he was the son of the late Daher Boutros Haddad and the late Wardeh Elias Kahter. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers Boutros, Boulos, Elias and Abdel Masih Haddad.
He is survived by wife, Houda Haddad, daughters, Loubna Haddad and Sandra Semaan and sister Souad Helou. He has one grandson, Christian Semaan.
He had a distinguished career of public service. The first public position he assumed was as an advisor to the Minister of Education, Dr. Najib Abu Haydar. From heading the "Educational Center for Sciences and Mathematics" at the American University of Beirut, he moved on to establish and lead the "Educational Center for Research and Development" in response to a request from Lebanese President Sleiman Frangieh, developing a sustainable educational plan based on global research and expertise.
When the war intensified in Lebanon and schools were forcibly closed, he was a pioneer in the field of education, innovating the first remote learning through screen technology, by transforming the studios of "Lebanon and Levant Television" into a distance learning school.
In the United States he started his journey within the World Bank, transitioning through various roles, to include Director & Deputy Corporate Secretary and Special Representative of the World Bank to the United Nations and its affiliated agencies and programs. He held significant positions at the international level, establishing himself as a foremost authority in educational affairs, development and planning and he drafted the initial version of the World Bank's educational policy and oversaw its implementation in several countries.
During his time at the World Bank, he launched the "Education for All" initiative, culminating in a World Conference in Thailand for which he served as Executive Secretary. The educational and developmental visions set forth at that time continue to be discussed and implemented to this day.
Despite these achievements and successes, he never forgot his homeland, Lebanon. When Lebanese President Amin Gemayel chose him to serve as his senior advisor for national security, he answered the call and returned to Beirut. He advised the president and accompanied him on his official foreign visits, participating in national dialogue conferences in Geneva and Lausanne. The culmination of his political experience was his distinctive book "Lebanon: The Politics of Revolving Doors."
In terms of his service in the church, Wadi Haddad chaired the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Community from 1968 to 1970, becoming the first secular man to hold this position. In 1997, the administrative board of the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development (LSESD) sought his help to transfer the services and properties of the mission to the Lebanese people. He engineered the foundation of this service, establishing principles of governance and administration in the association now known as "Thimar." He also devised a long-term plan for the growth of the association and the expansion of its services in Lebanon and the Middle East.
After retiring in 1998, he founded Knowledge Enterprise, LLC, which became a major international beacon for educational development and advancement of knowledge, learning and education.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at 1:00 PM on 16 March 2024, at Loudoun Funeral Chapel with Rev. Charles Geschiere facilitating. A reception will follow, also at Loudoun Funeral Chapel, 158 Catoctin Circle, S.E., Leesburg, Va 20175.
*In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/give.html) and Middle East Bible Outreach (https://www.mebo.org).
*For those traveling to join the family for the Celebration of Life service, following are some hotel options:
Near Houda: Embassy Suite Hotel, 44610 Waxpool Road, Ashburn, VA 20147
Near Loubna: Hampton Inn Dulles, 46331 McClellan Way, Sterling, VA 20165
Near Sandra: Hyatt Place Chantilly, 4994 Westone Plz, Chantilly, VA 20151
Please share condolences with the family at www.LoudounFuneralChapel
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