One of Lebanon's earliest diplomats and AUB alum Nadim Dimechkie dies
Nadim Dimechkie, one of Lebanon's first diplomats, an active AUB alumnus and former member of the AUB Board of Trustees, died early on March 31 succumbing to pneumonia. He was 88 years old.
Born on December 5, 1920, Dimechkie grew up in his family residence on Bliss Street where he developed his pan-Arabist views. Later, he put them to practice during his student years at AUB, where he earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics, in 1940 and 1955, respectively.
He was also a founding member and an honorary president of the committee for Scholarship Aid Fundraising Committee supporting student scholarships and served on the AUB Board of Trustees. Dimechkie was also active in raising support for rebuilding College Hall after it was destroyed in a car bombing in 1991.
Dimechkie had started his diplomatic career at a relatively young age in 1944 as economic counselor to the Lebanese Delegation in Lebanon, the first diplomatic mission that was established after Lebanon's independence.
For half a century as a career diplomat, Dimechkie occupied several posts in Ottawa, Cairo, Switzerland, and Czechoslovakia before becoming an ambassador to the United States and Ambassador to the St. James Court in the United Kingdom.
Ambassador Dimechkie was also active in the preparatory sessions for the United Nations Organization in 1945, and later represented Lebanon at the General Assembly of the United Nations from 1957 to 1974. He also participated in several summits for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) during the 1960s and 1970s.
He was also director-general of the Ministry of Economy (1943-44) and held several positions in the banking and economic sectors.
Dimechkie was decorated with a number of medals by the governments of Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, the UK, and Greece.
A funeral service will be held in his honor at the Khashoggi Mosque in Basta at 12.30pm on Wednesday April 1. Condolences will be received at his home in the Nada Building in the Gefinor area, following the burial service, and on Thursday and Friday at 9am-1pm and 4-7pm.
Dimechkie is survived by his wife, Margaret, and his two sons, Riyad and Ramez, who is currently Lebanon's ambassador to Germany.
