Nahia Lee (Cohlmia) Farha

Nahia Lee (Cohlmia) Farha, beloved wife, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin, and friend, passed away February 24, 2020.  She was a petite lady but a force to be reckoned with.  Her fierce loyalty and love for family and friends were her life. Nahia was born to Lee and Sumia Cohlmia February 6, 1930 in Englewood, Kansas.  She was the second of six children, all of whom were her best friends for life.  From family reunions to Las Vegas trips to ski trips, she treasured every moment she spent with her sisters Vivian and Joyce and her brothers, Kay, A. Lee, and Jerry.  She attended school in Wichita, graduating from North High School.  She met her true love, Ray Farha, and married soon after graduating.  They had four children and they worked hard to make a good life for them.  She found time to be an amazing mother but also was a huge support in helping Dad succeed in business.  Together they owned Farha Liquor Store and Ray Sales Company. Nahia worked in both businesses but somehow, we had a hot meal on the table every night.  She spent her life making sure her children felt loved and supported. We knew she would do anything for us, a truly priceless feeling.  Her son Danny and her three daughters Denise, Joy, and Jane feel so blessed to have had her and Dad guide them through life.  She was so excited when her eight grandchildren came along.  She rarely missed any of their school programs or sporting events.  She spent many wonderful nights traveling in her son-in-law Rusty’s van to basketball games all over Kansas. She loved cheering her grandchildren on. In recent years she was again blessed, this time with twelve great-grandchildren. They too were the light of her life. Outside of family, mom loved to travel, especially with all of her close friends.  She learned to ski at 50 and loved to go to Las Vegas.  Nahia and Ray were blessed with so many wonderful friends and they travelled the world with them. Nahia was a charter member of the Bona Dea Club which was formed at her 11th birthday party.  That was 79 years ago and the Bona Dea Club, a social and charitable organization, is still going strong to this day.  The dozens of women who have belonged to this club over the years are like sisters to her. She loved them dearly and treasured all the special memories that she shared with them. Nahia was a life-long member of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral, teaching Sunday School, and serving for many years at the Annual Lebanese Dinner. She loved being part of the Lebanese community that made their home in Wichita.  Her faith and her ancestry were such a huge part of who she was. Being a true basketball fan, she cheered for Wichita State and Kansas State, but her heart was with the Kansas Jayhawks.  It was always a thrill for her to go to Allen Fieldhouse with her brother Jerry and his wife Kiki.  She hasn’t missed a Big 8 or Big 12 tournament in over 20 years.  She was in Kansas City and San Antonio for both National Championships. She never hesitated to share her fresh ideas with Bill Self at the annual KU Basketball Luncheon. The health issues that she had in her later years were always made better because of the loving care of her brother Dr. Jerry Cohlmia and her son-in-law Dr. Mark Mosley.  No matter how bad she felt, their attention put a smile on her face and seemed to cure everything. Equally important were the countless, frequent visits from her Concordia family, Danny, Shelly, and their children and grandchildren.  They along with her Wichita children and grandchildren surrounded her with the same love and loyalty that she gave to them. Her daughter-in-law Shelly said it best, “We lost the heart and soul of our family yesterday. My mother-in-law Nahia was classy, caring, selfless, determined, feisty, hard-working, and consistently put her family above all else every single day of her life. It’s hard to imagine how we will carry on without her, but we will honor her life by trying, and trying to be more like her each and every day.” Nahia was preceded in death by her husband Ray Farha, parents, Lee and Sumia Cohlmia, brother Kay Cohlmia, sisters, Vivian Roberts and Joyce Shadid; Son-in-law Rusty Johnston; In-laws Bus and Ruth Farha, Frank and Florence Vandervort, Farris and Joan Razook.  She is survived by her children, Denise Johnston, Danny (Shelly) Farha, Joy Farha, Jane (Mark) Mosley; brothers A. Lee (Doris) Cohlmia, and Jerry (Kiki) Cohlmia and brother-in-law Dr. Ernest Shadid; Grandchildren Spencer (Amber) Farha, Garrett (Amber) Farha, Kelsey (Jason) Abitz, Benjamin Mosley, Joseph Mosley, John Mark Mosley, Anna Mosley, and Emma Mosley; Great-grandchildren Macon, Jaden, Carson, Brevin, Banks, Grayson, Baron, Nash, and Dawkins Farha and Addison, Ellie, and Callan Abitz. Viewing will be from 1:00 - 5:00 pm, Thursday, February 27, 2020, at Downing & Lahey East Mortuary. Trisagion and funeral service at 7:00 PM Thursday, February 27, 2020 at St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral.  Burial service at Old Mission Cemetery at 11:00 AM Friday, February 28, 2020.  A memorial has been established with St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral, 7515 E. 13th St. North, Wichita, Kansas 67206. Downing and Lahey Mortuary East.