Hanna (John) Wakim, 98, of Dracut, MA passed away peacefully on May 8, 2026 at his daughter's home in Salem, New Hampshire.

Hanna was born on December 23, 1927 to George and Mariam Wakim of Mieh Mieh, a little village on a hill east of Sidon, Lebanon, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.  Although in his childhood and young adulthood he lived some years in Beirut, he was proud of his Mieh Mieh heritage all his life. He cared immensely about the people of Mieh Mieh and considered them all his big family.

Hanna worked diligently throughout his life to sacrificially provide for his family, whether as a teenager helping his parents to provide for the family or as an adult providing for his wife and kids. Growing up in the 1930s and 1940s, life was difficult due to poverty and hunger, and Hanna left school at the age of 13 to work for the British army for several years.  During this time, he gave his income to his parents to help provide for his younger siblings' education.  He went back to school at the age of 17 when the British army left Lebanon.

As a young man, Hanna wasn't satisfied to simply follow the traditional church, but searched on his own for the truth.  He was touched by a Bible Study about the rich man and Lazarus.  Realizing it would be too late to change anything after death, he put his trust in Christ as his Savior.  Later, he and his brother Fahd were baptized at the Baptist Church in Beirut on November 19, 1950, and they were both instrumental in founding the Baptist church in Mieh Mieh.  While in Lebanon, Hanna was very involved in the Mieh Mieh church and was the song leader for numerous years.  He had a small leather Bible which was very precious to him that was gifted to him at his baptism in 1950. He brought that Bible to the United States, kept it next to him and treasured it all his life until the very end.

Hanna was resourceful and enjoyed the Sciences and Mathematics.  As a young adult, he designed and built an incubator that used no electricity to hatch eggs and raise chickens for food.  He went on to receive his bachelor's degree from the American University of Beirut in 1955, and he worked as a teacher for many years in Lebanon and a few years in Iraq.   Upon immigrating to the United States when teacher jobs were scarce, he worked faithfully at any job he could find, from working in an electronics store room to working as a machine mechanic.  He learned construction from his neighbor and built an addition to his house and a detached garage and workshop.  He also enjoyed gardening – planting vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees in his yard.  Hanna was gifted in art – he painted several oil paintings and sketched portraits of people to give as gifts.

He was married to the love of his life, Antoinette, for 67 years.  They shared the same faith and raised their 3 children in the fear of the Lord.  They each took care of the other when one of them was sick, until they were well into their nineties and needed more help from their children.  They found comfort in each other until Antoinette's death in November, 2025, after which Hanna missed her dearly.

Hanna is survived by his three children, Raja Wakim and wife Yvonne of Dracut, MA, Amal Boutrus and husband Paul of Salem, NH, and Mona Hajj and husband Michael of Dracut, MA; his 13 grandchildren, Steven, Christine, Karen, Tracy, Sarah, Amanda, Rachel, Nicholas, John, Andrew, Grace, Joy and Peter; 18 great grandchildren and one on the way; his brother Fahd Wakim and wife Irma; and many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his wife, Antoinette Wakim, and his siblings, Toufic Wakim, Suad Kesler, and Samia Saghbini.

Hanna loved his children and grandchildren immensely.  He was very proud and protective of them and willing to sacrifice for their wellbeing and education.  He also cared deeply about his extended family.  His love and protectiveness were especially shown during the war when he put his own life in danger to keep his loved ones safe.  His love was also shown by his generosity not just to his family, but also to his friends and to anyone in need.

He will be sorely missed, but we are comforted with the confidence that he has passed into the presence of his Savior and is currently rejoicing with the Lord.  We stand on God's promises of eternal life to everyone who puts his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, as given to us in the Bible – "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

The burial is private for the family. There will be a memorial service at Salem Bible Church, 11 Ermer Rd, Salem, NH on Saturday, May 16th at 11:30 AM.