Belal Yousef Masri

Belal "Bill" Yousef Masri, 67, passed away on September 24, 2022. Bill was born in Latakia, Syria in 1955 and left Syria in 1973 to travel the world as a merchant marine. His ship landed in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1979. He was given a three-day visa because his ship started sinking. He overstayed his three-day visa to fly to Washington to visit his brother, Kamal, who he hadn’t seen in 20 years. There, he met Barb at the disco and earned the nickname “Disco Billy.” Six weeks later, he married Barb and they enjoyed 43 years of marriage. Luckily, Barb didn’t leave him at the altar (the judge’s living room) when he repeated the words, “state your name” when asked to state his name.

Together, they opened B&B Electric Motors where they both worked until their recent retirement this year. Bill loved their business and all of the lifelong friends he made along the way. He was extremely generous and would constantly go above and beyond to help anyone in his life.

Bill was a loving husband and father of two. He was also a father figure and best friend to many people in his life. He was known for being an amazing cook, never using any recipes or measurements. He also loved spending time in Hawaii, fishing, boating, working in his shop, hiking, and riding his bike. He was always extremely creative and could build or fix anything, usually with a handful of OSHA violations.

His family includes his wife, Barb, daughters Layla and Lara, and sons in law Sheridan and Sammy. He was the youngest of seven siblings: Adnan, Kamal, Brhan, Muhammad, Amal, and Mustafa. He is survived by his niece, Magda, and cousin, Jamal, who was like a brother to him. Jamal worked at B&B Electric with Bill for over 30 years. He is also survived by many sisters-in-law, nieces, and nephews around the world.

In lieu of giving flowers, the family asks that those who are able instead make a donation to a charity of your choice to honor Bill’s generosity in life. 

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