Coronavirus, Our Lady of Lebanon cluster: Jamilie Joseph dies after contracting COVID-19
Much-loved Sydney grandmother Jamilie Joseph, who died from COVID-19 after contracting it from the Harris Park church cluster, was forced to spend her last moments alone because her family also had the virus.
Parramatta
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Much-loved grandmother Jamilie Joseph, who died from COVID-19 after contracting the virus from the Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral cluster, was forced to die alone because her family also had the virus and was forced to isolate, worshippers at her parish have been told.
During a homily at the Harris Park Maronite Catholic church on Wednesday night, the day of the Parramatta 80-year-old’s death, Father Danny Nour revealed the tragic circumstances in which she died.
“How would you feel if your fragile grandmother was on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit because she contracted the virus?,’’ he said.
“How would you feel if she died tonight, and this is what took place today, with nobody from her family members around because all her family members had contracted the virus?
“How would you feel? How do they feel now that they couldn’t even be with their mother or grandmother.
“They couldn’t be by her side. How would you feel?
“For those of you who think this is a conspiracy, please wake up.”
A Facebook post from the Australian Kfarsghab Association stated the widowed mother of three sons and grandmother of four would be “dearly missed by her family, relatives and friends”.
“Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, the family regretfully, are unable to accept condolences in person but would greatly appreciate prayers for the repose of the soul of Jamilie. May she rest in peace.’’
Mourners took to Facebook to express their sadness of Mrs Joseph’s death and recalled fond memories of her cooking and charity work.
Fadia Abboud produced an online series, Widows of Parramatta, that featured her aunt in 2018.
The clip shows Mrs Joseph, who married Tony in Sydney when she was 16, poking fun at herself for calling Facebook face washer.
“These people they are on the Facebook and the grandson says ‘You old women, you don’t understand Engish. It’s not the face washer, it’s the Facebook. Oh I forget.’’
The feature shows Mrs Joseph recalling the early days of living in the now Lebanese stronghold of Parramatta.
“There was no Lebanese bread to buy but my mother used to make it,’’ she said.
“She used to make it on the wood stove. We weren’t used to Australian sandwiches.
“Years ago when I went to Westfield Parramatta I saw people eating kebabs. I looked back and said ‘Where’s 1955 ... when we used to hide (from eating Lebanese bread)?
Ms Abboud took to Facebook today to reminisce about her adored aunt, who migrated from Lebanon with her family when she was a toddler before attending school near Parramatta.
“She was very well known and respected in the community and you could always find her at Our Lady of Lebanon,’’ she wrote on Facebook.
“She loved to cook and adored her family and always told me a story from her memories of growing up in Australia as a Lebanese woman. Had she not been a loving wife and mother she would have been a mayor — she was a smart woman who knew how to organise things.’’
In a homily that elaborated on the horrific year from bushfires to the pandemic and the Beirut blasts last week, Fr Nour implored the gathering to abide by “the laws of the land’’ including coronavirus restrictions.
“You are not greater than the law. You are not different to anyone else,’’ he said.