It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of our adored Sabah Samantha Saba, who died suddenly on February 18th, 2021 at the Sault Area Hospital, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
She was born on March 6th, 1991 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Sabah was the youngest of four children, born to Elias “Leo” & Rita (Semaan) Saba. She had a larger than life personality, and commanded attention as soon as she entered any room. Her unique sense of humor, combined with her loud, infectious laugh, attracted admirers and laughter everywhere she went. Anyone who was lucky enough to have known her would say, they have and will never meet anyone like Sabah again.
She was always marching to the beat of her own drum, always being true to herself. Being fiercely loyal, honest, and dependable were attributes passed down from her parents, making her loved in many different circles. Everyone knew and loved Sabah. Her reach was admirable, and with her heart of gold she truly impacted so many people in her life.
From a young age Sabah showed her love for music and singing. When friends and family would gather, Sabah would recite lyrics in both English and Arabic, including one of her father’s favorites, Oum Khalthoum. She was an active member of the Church community, volunteering whenever she could, especially at the Lebanese Festival. She was extremely proud of her Lebanese heritage.
After graduating from SMU with a Bachelor of Arts- Criminology in 2013, she decided that becoming a lawyer was her ultimate goal. She went to the University of Leicester in England, and after graduating in 2015 she came back to Canada. Before she got to write the Bar exam, her father was diagnosed with cancer and died just a few months later. Devastated, she persevered and fought through what was an extremely hard time in her life and completed her goal in becoming a lawyer in Canada in 2019. It was the best moment of her life, and she would always say, she did it all for her Mom and Dad. What helped her push through and achieve this goal above all was her faith in God. She already had the religious beliefs that were instilled from her mother Rita, but it was during this time that she really relied on her faith. Regularly she would talk about her faith in God, and recently posting “You cannot break a person who gets their strength from God”.
She lived in Sault Ste Marie for the last 14 months. This was where she had begun what was to be a promising career as a lawyer, joining Legal Aid Ontario as Legal counsel.
She aspired to some day be a Judge, and knowing Sabah’s determination, we all know one day she would she was going to achieve this milestone as well.
Sabah is predeceased by her aforementioned father, Elias Saba, grandparents Isaac & Marwa Saba, grandmother Haifa Semaan, Aunt Laurice Faraj, Aunt Marie Wehbe, cousin Maha Faraj, and her dear cousin Milad Sande.
She is survived by her Mother Rita, sister Marwa Mohsen (Beshara) and nieces Giuliana & Ciara, sister Nancy Obeid (Majd) and nieces Adriana & Ayla, brother Isaac Saba (Lisa) and nieces & nephew Sofia, Elias & Ivy. She is also survived by her aunt Sabah (Salum) Solomon, aunt Laura (Charlie) Chediac, aunt Joanne (Ibrahim) Chater, aunt Layla Sande, aunt Joanna Ibrahim, uncle Simon (Lina) Semaan, uncle Andre (Alissar) Semaan, uncle John (Hind) Semaan, uncle Pierre (Salwa) Semaan, grandfather George Semaan. She’s also survived by many cousins, and their many children. She will be missed dearly by them all.
The funeral home visitation will be on Sunday, February 28, at 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM AST at J.A. Snow Funeral Home on 339 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, NS. The funeral service will be on Monday March 1st at 11:00 AM AST at St. Antonios Orthodox Church, located at 2480 Windsor St, Halifax, Nova Scotia, with officiating by Archpriest Maximos Saikali. Burial to follow at Gate of Heaven cemetery, Sackville.
Donations can be made through St. Antonios Orthodox Church via e-transfer to accounting@saintantonios.ca or visiting the Church website for more information.