Loretta B. AbuJaber

Loretta AbuJaber, 92, passed away June 20, 2026, peacefully at home. Born on July 6th, 1933, in Corning NY, Loretta was the beloved daughter of the late Teresa Latizia and Frank Pacifico. 

She grew up in Central New York and attended Syracuse University where she met the love of her life, Doctor Kamel AbuJaber, who went on to become the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. She had a love and talent for languages, and spenther school years learning French, Italian, and Spanish. She went on to teach French and English at the American School and the Ahliyyah School for Girls in Amman, Jordan. As a talented polyglot, Loretta frequently dabbled in learning additional languages in her own time.

Throughout her life, Loretta was known for her quick wit and remarkably strong will. After relocating to Jordan with her two young daughters, she quickly adapted to her new lifestyle and made a home for herself and her family there. When her daughters had children of their own, she helped build new homes across the world– playing, cooking dinners, keeping the house in order, and singing children to sleep. 

In her later years, she championed a project of republication for her late-husband’s books, which she not only funded and oversaw, but took on the role of proofreader and editor for as well. She succeeded in republishing her late-husband’s work while also having his memoirs published, and writing a memoir of her own. Loretta was a gracious hostess and a welcoming entertainer, and she made the many places she loved to travel to feel like home. Friends and family will remember her for her refreshingly candid perspectives and witty, dry humor.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Doctor Kamel AbuJaber. May they be reunited in the hereafter. 

Loretta is survived by her daughters Linda and Nyla, and her grandchildren Kamil, Nour, Aneesa, and Summer.

Those who knew Loretta will remember her as a person who always spoke her mind candidly and ensured everyone around her was fed, cared for, and had everything they needed. She will be deeply missed.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Gaza Soup Kitchen or Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. 

May her memory be a blessing.