Tawfiq N. Khoury

June 3, 1930 – October 18, 2020

Tawfiq N. Khoury, 90, of San Diego, CA, and Honolulu, HI, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 18, 2020, with his beloved wife Richel by his side. Tawfiq was born January 3, 1930, in Nazareth, Palestine, son of the late Nicolas and Margarita (Nasser) Khoury. 1000 years before he was born, the Khoury clan had historically tended the Church over Mary’s Well. Tawfiq became head of his family at age 7 when his father passed away. His love of education and culture came from his mother who nurtured him with as many books as he could digest and from listening to French newscasts on Radio Cairo. Through education he dreamed of a world beyond his dusty town. His family lost everything in the 1948 war that established the state of Israel. He and his mother, two brothers and sister fled Nazareth to a refugee camp in Lebanon, then to Cuba and ultimately landed in Flint, Michigan in 1950. To support his family, he worked multiple jobs as a piston driller at the Buick plant and as a dishwasher. He later attended the University of Michigan and continued to work full-time as a butcher’s assistant and hospital orderly. He graduated as valedictorian of his class and his love for the school never waned. Of his many achievements, receiving the Distinguished Alumni Medal from the University of Michigan in 1994 may have been one of his greatest honors. After college, he worked for American Marietta as an engineer in Chicago and then for Simon and Simon Development. While in Chicago, he met his future wife, Richel Grasparil, M.D., whom he married on December 31, 1966. Jointly they decided that the Chicago winters were not conducive to their futures and they embarked on a journey to find a new home. Together they traveled and briefly lived in Kamuela, HI, but ultimately settled in San Diego in 1968. Along the way, they had three children, Jason, Brian and Noelle. He treasured his children and was blessed to have six grandchildren. While San Diego was home, Tawfiq and Richel were citizens of the world, traveling to over 80 countries together and spreading love and cheer wherever they went. Professionally, once settled in San Diego, he went to work for Avco Community Developers as head of its new neighborhoods division. He quickly enjoyed success with the projects he was charged with overseeing. A year and a half later on August 9, 1971, Tawfiq founded Pacific Scene. He was joined by Russ Richard and Wesley Mudge with whom he remained lifetime friends. At Pacific Scene, Tawfiq achieved many professional successes. Along with being named a Top 25 national builder for many years running, Tawfiq’s greatest professional achievement was being named Professional Builder of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders in 1983. In presenting the award, Roy L. Diez, editor of Professional Builder magazine said “Tawfiq Khoury is a classic illustration of an outstanding builder who has responded to the challenge for providing the kind of smaller, smarter, more affordable housing that we need in today’s marketplace.” In 1987 he was recognized by the industry journal California Builder as its “California Pacesetter of the Year.” For many years, Pacific Scene was San Diego County’s leading home building firm and ranked nationally amongst the top builders in the Country. While building was critical, Tawfiq never lost track of the importance of the environment, open space, and wildlife and habitat. To that end, Pacific Scene supported the Sierra Club and many other environmental organizations. As a leader, Tawfiq had an entrepreneur’s unfailing enthusiasm and will to succeed. “He strongly believed and preferred to train and advance from within.” Pacific Scene created mini entrepreneurs, empowering managers to operate as their own independent builders. Even when people left to start their own ventures, he got great satisfaction from seeing the young people who tied their fortunes to Pacific Scene become very capable builders in their own right. Throughout its history, Pacific Scene reflected the values instilled by Tawfiq. The culture valued its people, the communities in which it operated and its clients. Tawfiq and Pacific Scene’s legacy are not measured in the 40,000 plus homes built, or the thousands of square feet of industrial, shopping centers, office buildings or parks. His and Pacific Scene’s legacy are its people. Mudge was quoted in an article on Tawfiq in the late ‘80s saying, “he cares about you personally, not just as an employee”. Through the end of his life, many years after the professional relationships ended, Tawfiq maintained close ties with many of the people he worked with. Tawfiq was also active on many boards in San Diego including: the University of San Diego, the Old Globe Theater, the California Festival of the Arts, the San Diego Symphony, The San Diego YMCA, the Combined Arts and Educational Council of San Diego County, the Neighborhood Improvement Council, the San Diego Organizing Project, the San Diego Economic Development Corporation and the Mayor’s Business Advisory Council. For many years he chaired the KPBS Annual Fundraiser. He also served as the Chairman of the San Diego Growth Management Task Force and the Chairman of the San Diego Stadium Authority Board of Governors. He was named the 1985 San Diego Nice Guy of the Year. At a national level, he served on the board of the Federal Home Loan Banking Corporation, as a member of the board of advisors of Harvard University’s Institute for Social and Economic Policy in the Middle East, and on Vice President Al Gore’s Builders’ for Peace Committee which was entrusted with helping the economy of the areas turned over to the Palestinian Authorities pursuant to the Israel-plo Peace Accords. Never forgetting his faith, he was very involved with the San Diego Dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church and he was a member of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher, a Roman Catholic organization. Tawfiq never forgot his humble roots as a Palestinian refugee and championed the Palestinian right to self-determination all of his life. He believed fervently in the right to statehood and the right to their homeland. He truly believed that peace would come to the Middle East when both sides recognize the legitimate concerns of both Arabs and Jews. His immigrant and minority background drove his philanthropic decisions both here in San Diego and throughout the world. He believed his own success coming as a penniless immigrant to the United States began with his education. He was quoted as saying “the best thing for a minority child is communication skills. The second-best thing is to encourage them to get as much education as they can absorb.” That mindset led him to support many educational programs. He took great pride in adopting Knox Elementary School, sponsoring monthly contests in speech, spelling, writing and reading on every grade level. He and his wife awarded over 900 scholarships to children of Filipino and Arabic decent, seeing these recipients through to university. To the end of his life, he supported disadvantaged youth with the gift of education and only asking in return that someday, they too might reach down and lend a hand to a child in need. As important as education was to him, liberty and civil rights were the most important causes in Tawfiq’s life. He never took for granted the rights bestowed upon him as a citizen of the United States and he took tremendous pride in his country. He fervently believed that nowhere else in the world could he have achieved “the dream” and to his last days, he championed the rights of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” promised to all citizens and immigrants alike. Among his many God-given gifts, Tawfiq claimed that next to his brain and his heart, his nose was the greatest gift he had. That nose led him to discover wine after promising to give up martinis before his first child was born. Wine, he said “has been more than an exotic addition to the dinner table.” It led to meetings with heads of state and celebrities from all walks of life who have shared his passion. He said: “How else would a penniless immigrant meet kings and Presidents, movie stars and Nobel Prize winners? Wine has been my passport to the world.” He was considered by many to be one of the top oenophiles and collectors of fine wine. He was very active in many food and wine organizations including the Chaine de Rotisseurs, Commanderie de Bordeaux and the Society of Bacchus. In 1986 he was awarded the Society of Bacchus’ award of Mr. Gourmet. His guiding philosophy on wine was that it was meant to be shared and enjoyed with friends and loved ones alike. Tawfiq would say “luck” had much to do with his success. He said “luck has been with me all my life.” That luck stemmed from Richel, his beloved wife of 53 years who he treasured and adored. In his final days, true to his form, he sent out an email to loved ones that summed up his life. He said “I try to lead a meaningful life by extending a hand up the ladder to good and worthy people whom fate brings into my life. Touching lives, even in a small way, whether through the ones I employed and guided throughout my career, on to young people I have met throughout the world, has been a source of contentment to me, a meaningful life. Much is rightfully expected from those to whom much is given. I have had an incredible life, one that is given to very few. It has been a Magic Carpet Ride.” Tawfiq is survived by his wife, Richel, sons, Jason (Lisa) Khoury and Brian (Martha) Khoury and daughter, Noelle (Tim) Ludwig of San Diego, six grandchildren, Nicolas and Isabelle Khoury, Ella and Matthew Ludwig, and Ava and Tawfiq “Taj” Khoury, and brother Jamil Khoury. He was preceded in death by his mother Margarita and his father Nicolas, his brother Emile, and his beloved sister Vera. The family would like to express thanks to all the friends and family who have supported them not only during this time, but over a lifetime. They would also like to thank the doctors and nurses who took care of Tawfiq and supported him.