Remembering a once-in-a-generation great grandmother of 10, supporting AUB students
November 1, 2021
Laurice Khoury Maalouf (BA Psychology ’45), who is shown in the photograph above taken in 1994 with her husband, Khalil, and their eight grandchildren, was the daughter-in-law, wife, sister, mother, and grandmother of AUB alumni. “My mother was very proud of her AUB connection,” remembers her son, Ramzi Khalil Maalouf. “She loved the experience of being on campus with students from many different backgrounds.” Laurice was especially proud of the fact that she had attended classes with AUB’s third president, Bayard Dodge.
After completing her AUB degree, Laurice traveled to London to continue her education, earning a master’s degree in 1947 from King’s College in London. She and her sister, Barrister-at-Law Jamilé Khoury, who earned both her BA (’46) and MA (’48) at AUB, enjoyed their time in London. They were regular visitors to Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, where they debated passionately on behalf of the Palestinian cause.
Laurice was a lifelong champion of AUB. She and her husband, Khalil Mikhail Maalouf (BA ’41, BSCE ’45), who was a pioneering engineering professor at AUB, welcomed everyone to their Ras Beirut home which also housed the first office of Dar Al Handasah-ACE. “She loved bringing people together – and did it very well. She made everyone feel comfortable and was an extraordinary ambassador for all the good causes she supported,” says Ramzi. Laurice was also a long-time member and president of the Women’s Auxiliary, which was established in 1950 to support the AUB Medical Center.
On the occasion of her passing on September 1, 2021, Laurice was remembered by her brother, Dr. Asaad Khoury (MD ’49), as a woman who “had this perpetual smile and positive energy that would light up a room; she loved and encouraged all her family and friends and had this heavenly gift that made everyone around her feel happy and at ease. This once-in-a-generation great grandmother of 10 will be missed by all.”
Ramzi and his wife Rita Clovis Maalouf, who is also an AUB alumna, recently established the Laurice Khoury Maalouf Scholarship to support needy and qualified women students at AUB.
“We want our mother’s name to always be associated with this university that she loved so much,” they explain. “This scholarship will help other students enjoy the experience that she treasured.”