Anita Daoud

On August 7, 2022 Anita Daoud passed away at the age of 92 in Modesto, California.

Anita was born in her Ripon family home on July 5th, 1930 to the family of Albert and Fannie Marsman. She lived and worked on the family farm with 5 sisters and 2 brothers until her young adulthood at which time she pursued the nursing career at Highland Nursing School in Oakland, CA and then continued on to achieve a masters degree at the University of Washington. During this time she also became interested in The Navigators, a global missions group. She committed to training in Colorado Springs for an international assignment. After years of training, she found her assignment, then left family, friends and all things familiar in order to spread the love of Jesus and share her nursing skills at American University in Beirut, Lebanon.

As with everything in life, Anita immediately found the international life fascinating and exhilarating. She embraced the culture, the cuisine and the people with the gusto that was the “Anita way”. God blessed her enthusiastic obedience with the special gift of finding her most beloved and precious life mate - Ghassan Daoud - while she served there in Lebanon. Ghassan also shared her passion for serving Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Ghassan and Anita married in California in the summer of 1973 and established a home in Modesto where Ghassan pursued a career in teaching mathematics and Anita in teaching nursing at MJC. Both of them were very involved in their Modesto Covenant Church ministries. Both of them were highly supportive and involved in the lives of their siblings, parents and many nieces and nephews. Ghassan preceded Anita in death in 2020.

Anita is survived by sister Trudy O’Neal of Modesto and brother Albert Marsman of Modesto and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Fannie Marsman, brother Herman Marsman of Ripon and sisters, Jeanette Miller of Modesto, Evelyn Bekedam of Ripon, Minnie Koning of Norwalk and Jean Rodgers of Mesa, AZ. Whether at home or abroad Anita shared a great love of life and laughter with herm loved ones. She was famous for her plethora of letters, Christmas cards, her jokes and her gifts and her vitality that infected the family and friends at social gatherings. Whether she was playing a practical joke on her younger brother or sending big boxes of gifts from Lebanon to all the nieces and nephews, she gave with her whole heart. A memorial celebration service will be held at the Modesto Covenant Church 1:30 PM Saturday August 20th. Memorial gifts may go to The Navigators PO Box 6079 Albert Lea, MN 56007-6679 or navigators.org