Obituary of Donald Khoury

GENEVA- Donald "DK" J. Khoury, 77, passed away peacefully on Sat. (Feb. 28, 2015), at Highland Hospital, with his loving family by his side. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Thurs (March 5) and from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Fri. (March 6), at the Palmisano-Mull Funeral Home LLC 28 Genesee St. Geneva. Trisagion Prayers will be at 7:30 p.m. Thurs. in the funeral home. A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Sat. (March 7), in St. Michael's Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church in Geneva, with the V. Rev. Fr. Gregory Murphy officiating. Burial will follow in Glenwood Cemetery. Contributions may be directed to St. Michael's Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church 98 Genesee St. Geneva, NY 14456, or the Boys & Girls Club of Geneva P.O. Box 166 Geneva, NY 14456. Donald was born in Geneva on June 3, 1937 and was the youngest child of the late Samuel and Julia (Brown) Khoury. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Education from SUNY Geneseo where he became a brother of the Delta Kappa fraternity. Upon his graduation, Don found himself pursuing his career in education at Ben Franklin High School in Rochester. While there he coached his varsity soccer team to winning the 1965 New York State Championship title! In 1966, Don found his way back home to begin his career in the Geneva City School district as a high school special education teacher for the next 30 years. His duties as a teacher went way beyond the classroom. Don was always at his best when he was helping his students and many others within the community. He was an avid sports fan, supporting the Syracuse Orangemen basketball and lacrosse teams as well as the New York Yankees baseball team. His vast knowledge of sports made him an outstanding coach. Don conceptualized and brought to fruition the first ever men's soccer program to Geneva High School. He was the GHS varsity girls' volleyball coach, a Vince Lombardi football coach, GHS JV Lacrosse Head Coach and Varsity Assistant Lacrosse Coach. He also was a basketball referee and camp counselor at the Hobart/William Smith lacrosse camp. In addition to sports, Don loved music, all kinds! However, Jazz reigned supreme in his heart. You would find DK at many a concert, including each and every Drum and Bugle Corps competition that found its way into the region. And for a short stint, he even served as the band manager for the Top 40 Group: "Steve Alaimo & The Redcoats." Don was a devoted member of St. Michael's Orthodox Church in Geneva and was a member of the Order of Saint Ignatius Council. He held several offices on the church board and was a member of the St. Michael's choir for many years. Don was one of the founding fathers of the Boys and Girls Club in Geneva and was also a member of the Geneva Sports Hall of Fame. He was councilman for the town of Geneva, honorary member of the NAACP and a member of the NYS Retired Teachers Association. Don enjoyed many things in life, but above all, he loved being with his family, especially his grandson, Samuel. He is survived by his wife, Janet T. (Tiballi) Khoury of Geneva; children, Julia Khoury of Rochester, Christina (Brian) Taylor of Rochester and Angelo "A.J." Khoury of Rochester; grandson, Samuel Taylor, brother, Anthony (Clara) Khoury of Geneva; sister, Beth Khoury of Atlanta, GA; cousin, Jim (Diane) Khouri of Geneva and several beloved nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Don was predeceased by his sister, Charlotte.