Kareem Issa Meiki

Funeral services for Kareem Issa Meiki will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 20, 2025 at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall St., Shreveport, Louisiana with a Trisagion at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 19, 2025.

Kareem Issa Meiki was born on November 21, 1941, in the Holy Land (Tarshiha, Galilee) to Issa Yusef and Shafica Shaheen Meiki. Our Lord and Savior called him Home on December 13, 2025 after battling extended illness.

After graduating from Wingate Institute in Israel, he emigrated to the United States in June, 1966. He completed his masters degree from George Williams College in Downers Grove, IL, and returned to the Holy Land with his new American bride, Nancy McClenahan Meiki.

Upon his arrival, he accepted a teaching position at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem where he stayed for about a year. He and his wife returned to the United States, where he attained an administrative position at a psychiatric hospital in Chicago and later in Houston, Texas. He was later transferred to a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, where he developed an accredited school for hospital management in conjunction with Saudi Arabia. Following the graduation of 23 Saudi students, he was again transferred to an administrative position at P&S Hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Having gained expertise in home healthcare through his work at P&S, he retired from hospital administration to open his own private agency in 1983. United Home Health Care of Shreveport remained a reputable Home Health agency for 38 years until Kareem retired (very much against his will).

An accomplished athlete, Kareem was the Israeli national tennis coach from 1964-65 and was a professional tennis player. He played in the highest level Israeli professional soccer league. The Jerusalem YMCA was the international headquarters of all Olympic development, and he was a certified Olympic coach in many sports, including soccer, gymnastics and tennis. He is also the undefeated Israeli squash champion. He was a great influence in the development of youth soccer in the Shreveport-Bossier area and was a beloved and respected coach to many young soccer players here and throughout the State of Louisiana.

He leaves to mourn his loss, his wife of 55 years, Nancy, and four children: Laura Meiki; Gabriel (Kendra); Julia Petikas (Ioannis); John (Kristi). He was grandfather to 11: Johanna Meiki-Ory; Jordan and Christian Meiki; Michael, Sophia, Yusef, Elena and Basil Petikas; Julianna, McKenzie and Mary Katherine Meiki. He leaves behind countless friends and relatives in both the US and the Holy Land.

He was preceded in death by his mother and father; brothers Afif and Abdala Meiki; and sister Matile Khoury. He is survived by sisters Samira Shaheen (Elias) and Banoly Blackhall (Scott); and brothers George (Huda), and Kamal (Joyce) Meiki.

Pallbearers will be Michael, Yusef and Basil Petikas, Christian Meiki, Dan and Michael Blackhall, John Paul Meiki. Honorary pallbearers will be Oscar James, John Underwood, MD and Raja Zabaneh, MD.

During the last 15 years of his life, Kareem struggled with illness. Special thanks are extended to his physicians and surgeons; the staffs at Highland Hospital and Willis Knighton Pierremont; the staff of Fresenius Kidney Care (Home Therapy and Pierremont Dialysis Center). The family would also like to publicly thank his dear friend Raja Zabaneh, MD, for the countless hours of loving care he gave to Kareem.

Donations may be made in his honor to St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Shreveport or Sts. George and Sophronius Church in Galilee (contact John Christian Meiki, 318-426-9215.)