Mounir Farah, who retired as a professor emeritus from the College of Education and Health Professions in 2015, is remembered for his compassion, intellect and global impact.

He was also eloquent and quick-witted. At Farah's celebration of life, his family created bookmarks that featured some of his favorite sayings, such as "He who hears one side and judges is no judge."

Farah, who passed away on Nov. 8, 2024, taught in the college's Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Dean Kate Mamiseishvili and Farah served together as faculty members for several years. She noted of her former colleague, "In the years we overlapped as faculty in the College of Education and Health Professions, I knew him to be kind and creative. His dedication to shaping aspiring educators to think with a global perspective touched countless lives and will leave a lasting legacy."

Chris Goering, a professor of curriculum and instruction since 2007, worked closely with Farah. "Dr. Farah was the first person I met on campus during my interview who made me feel truly welcome; he invited me into his office and sat with me, discussing issues of the day, my interests, and our shared backgrounds as teachers in Kansas — 40 years apart," he said.

Goering, who spoke at Farah's Nov. 16 celebration of life, recalled that his friend had a glass jar of cookies on the table and his office was filled with books in three languages. During that first chat, Farah made Goering feel like he had all the time in the world to visit with him.

"I thought then I was in the presence of someone special, and as I continued to work with Dr. Farah for the next ten years as an immediate colleague in secondary education, my early impressions were resoundingly confirmed," Goering said. "A beautiful soul, brilliant worldly scholar and bright light has passed, but his impacts will reverberate in so many lives for as long as can be imagined."

Reed Greenwood served as dean for part of Farah's tenure. He described Farah as one of the best all-around faculty members, excelling at teaching, research and service. "I had the good fortune to serve as his dean for eight years and always sought his advice and counsel," Greenwood said. "He was a cherished colleague whose influence in education was felt around the globe, especially in the Middle East. In addition, he was a loving husband and father and dear friend."

Farah was born in Damascus, Syria, in 1938 and emigrated to the United States a few days after his 22nd birthday to continue his education. He earned a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma City University, a master's from the University of Bridgeport, and a doctorate in history from New York University.

He met his wife of 62 years, Everal Montez Goodfellow Farah, at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. He was studying for a master's in political science, and she was an undergraduate social science major. A lifelong educator, Farah started his career in Edson, Kansas, where he taught social studies. That's also where the Farah family began. The Farahs have three children: Theodore Shookry Farah, Jennie Jamileh Farah Alves and Teresa Mounia Farah. Their five grandchildren are Isabella Sophia Alves, Carmen Allegra Alves, Julia Marie Farah, Lucas Mounir Farah and Mia Farah Al Ansari.

Farah's legacy continues beautifully through his children and grandchildren, who carry into the world his love of the written word, music, teaching, storytelling, history, laughter and optimism.

Farah joined the U of A in 1995 and was also a professor at the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies. He authored and co-authored numerous books, articles, and chapters in world history, economics, Middle Eastern studies, and education texts and was the general editor of a four-volume series of biographies on world history. He wrote several bestselling textbooks, including the twenty-year bestselling textbook "World History: The Human Experience," published by McGraw-Hill.

Farah's family plans to establish a foundation in his name to advance global education and understanding. "The foundation will follow his belief that education and cross-cultural understanding are the keys to building bridges between communities and fostering global dialogue," his obituary noted.