Nakleh "Nick" Shihadeh Bir

Nakleh ”Nick” Shihadeh Bir, 79, of Charleston, SC entered into eternal rest on May 20, 2020, surrounded by his loving family.

Born on October 21, 1940 in Jaffa, Palestine; Nakleh was a son of the late Shihadeh Ibrahim and Farida Ibrahim (Joudeh). In addition to his wife, Ghada Renee Bir (Joudeh), he is survived by his four children: Shihadeh, Nader and his daughter-in-law Rasha, Nancy, Nadeen and his son-in-law Josh Zaslow. His five grandchildren -- Rosemary, Daniella, and Amir Bir, and Tula and Elby Bir-Zaslow -- will all miss him and cherish fond memories of him.

He was very involved in caring for his children and his grandchildren. He is also survived by his two siblings Monir and Claire Ibrahim; and he is preceded in death by his late siblings Abrahim and Albir.

Nakleh lived a full life, surviving war and the Occupation of his home country of Palestine. As a young child, he had to flee from Jaffa to Jifna, Palestine in 1948. As a teenager, he had to work to support his family and migrated to Kuwait to become an electrician with Kuwait
Airlines and was able to travel extensively. He immigrated to the United States in 1982 with his wife and four children to live in Kentucky and eventually moved to Charleston, SC in 1987.

Mr. Nick was well-known in the Charleston area because he worked in the food industry, specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine and was the first to introduce authentic falafel to the peninsula. He and his wife opened and ran GNS Deli and corner grocery store in downtown Charleston from 1995 until 2003. They also managed a food stall at the Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market, a catering business, and a restaurant in West Ashley.

Mr. Nick was memorable to all who met him. Known amongst his family and friends for his signature moustache and making people feel welcomed and at home in his stores or with his family, no matter what walk of life they came from. He had a bold personality, stated his opinion with frank honesty, and he was open to learning new things and meeting people from different backgrounds. He could make a joke out of anything in Arabic or English, or even a mix of the two. We will always remember his love for gardening, cooking, baking bread, and spending time with his pets.

In order to social distance and keep everyone safe, the family will have a private visitation and funeral on Saturday, May 23rd 2020.

All are welcome to the burial at 1:30 pm at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, 604 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston, SC 29412. If you plan on attending, visitors should wear masks, use hand sanitizer often, and keep physically distant, 6 ft apart from others.

Please help us keep his memory alive by sharing your stories with us and your expressions of sympathy which may be viewed or submitted online at www.McAlister-Smith.com.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McALISTER-SMITH FUNERAL & CREMATION, James Island, 347 Folly Rd., Charleston, SC 29412, (843) 614-8494.