Eladhari
An Arlington High School Spanish teacher known for his love of soccer, a sport he coached in Lexington, died unexpectedly Wednesday, June 18. Sami Eladhari, of Arlington was 32.
AHS plans to hold a memorial service at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, in the Lowe Auditorium.
The first word came June 18 from Principal Matthew Janger, who wrote “with a heavy heart” that the teacher had died “after a brief illness.”
The next day, Janger wrote that the teacher suffered an aneurism over the weekend and did not regain consciousness.
An obituary posted by the DeVito Funeral Home said: “Sami’s real passion, however, was for soccer. His love of the game kept him much in demand as a coach for numerous Boston areas camps and teams, notably AC Milan, Sachems FC, FC Greater Boston Bolts in Revere and Soccer 101 Academy.
“He was the Lexington High boys’ varsity soccer coach, where he was admired for his integrity and dedication.
“Sami’s zest for life, sense of humor and positive disposition were an inspiration to anyone who’s ever met him. A seasoned traveler and sincere friend, Sami had companions from all walks of life in all corners of the world.
“Despite the enduring burden of an ailing body, Sami never complained, but chose to live his life with gusto and passion, devoting himself to the pursuits that fueled him.”
For the June 24 service, direct thoughts or contributions to Rob Diloreto (rdiloreto at arlington.k12.ma.us). For a presentation, send pictures to Bill McCarthy (wmccarthy at arlington.k12.ma.us).
The Eladhari family is not planning to have a public service until this fall.
Born in Cambridge on Aug. 1, 1981, Eladhari was the son of Francine Brasseur and Moncef Eladhari, brother of Mounia Pesl and her husband Mark Pesl, Karim Eladhari, and uncle to Omar Raad, Michelle, Nicole and Kathleen Pesl, Alexander and Mitchell Eladhari.
After graduating Arlington High School in 2000, he went to Springfield College, where he received a bachelor’s in communications/sports journalism 2004.
He received a master’s in multimedia sports journalism from Universidad Europea de Madrid in 2005.
In addition to English, he spoke French, Spanish and Italian.
He spent a year in Alcala de Henares, completing the Advanced DELE diploma in Spanish.
A foundation has been established in Eladhari’s memory, to continue his lifelong work of bringing his love of soccer to young people.
Donations can be sent to The Sami Eladhari Foundation, P.O. Box 203, Arlington MA 02476.
Condolences to Eladhari’s father:
Moncef Eladhari
1 School St., Unit 201
Arlington, MA 02476
This story was published Saturday, June 21, 2014.
