Jumblatt receives condolences on death of his mother, May

11 September 2013

BEIRUT: Friends and family, as well as political and religious leaders, offered condolences at Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt’s residence in Beirut Tuesday over the death of his mother, May.

May, the ex-wife of renowned Druze leader late Kamal Jumblatt, and daughter of prominent Druze politician the late Shakib Arslan, died Monday night. She was 85 years old.

Among the leaders offering condolences were Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri as well as Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hasan and Lebanese Democratic Party head MP Talal Arslan.

Saudi King Abdallah bin Abdel-Aziz contacted Jumblatt by phone to offer his condolences to the lawmaker on his mother’s death.

Jumblatt also received phone calls from Saudi Prince Faysal bin Abdel-Aziz, Saudi Prince Walid bin Talal bin Abdel-Aziz and Saudi Information Minister Abdel-Aziz Khoja.

President Michel Sleiman, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Lebanese Forces head Samir Geagea and MP Strida Geagea also contacted Jumblatt to offer their condolences.

May, who came from the well-known Lebanese Druze Arslan family, was married to the founder of the PSP, Kamal Jumblatt, from another prominent Druze family. She is survived by their only son, Walid.

Born in 1928, May received her early education in Lebanon and pursued higher education in France.

She married Kamal Jumblatt in 1948 and supported her husband during pivotal and difficult moments in Lebanon’s modern history.

Those who knew May described her as a strong woman who has left fingerprints in both the history of the Druze community and the Jumblatt family.

Her funeral will be held at 12 p.m. Wednesday in the Chouf Mountain town of Mukhtara.

Condolences will be accepted Thursday and Friday in Mukhtara and Saturday and Sunday in Clemenceau.