Ihsan "Sandra" Mire

Ihsan “Sandra” Mire passed away peacefully in her home on Thursday, August 18, 2022, in Knoxville, TN surrounded by her family. 

A loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother and devoted friend, Ihsan epitomized the values of unconditional love and generosity to everyone she met.

Ihsan was born January 5, 1935 in Ain Zhalta, Lebanon.  She was the first of five children who were raised to honor their family and always open their home to their community and friends.  She often shared her memories of her life there. Her father was mayor of their hillside town and her home had a wide-open view of the valley below. They had apple orchards, vineyards, olive groves and pine trees. They had a mill for grinding grains and a mill for extracting olive oil.  Ihsan helped her mother care for her younger siblings, tend to the household, and host friends and visitors. In 1955, she married Faheam “Fred” Mire from Btekhney and they had 62 happy years together.  She left her home in Lebanon to join him and his family who were building a new life in America. Together they raised their four children and developed lifelong relationships with family and friends from both American and Lebanese backgrounds. 

The home Ihsan created was filled with love, fabulous cooking, and feasts for large crowds.  Her door was always open, her refrigerator always full, and she was always eager to socialize.  She was funny, witty, curious, and constantly improving herself. Her children remember their mom always checking on friends or loved ones to send birthday cards, making chocolate cakes on special occasions, or delivering food or treats to people who may be sick or just to make their day brighter. She modeled the qualities she learned from her own childhood every day of her life.

Ihsan was deeply connected to her family and friends all over the world.  Although her sisters and brothers lived in other countries, she remained very close to them and each of their children.  At home in Kingsport, she created close personal relationships with her sisters-in-law and a long list of wonderful friends.  In 2002, she and her husband relocated to Knoxville to be closer to their children and grandchildren, and she made the most of every moment she could spend with them. 

Ihsan was preceded in death by her parents, Hassan and Salha Kabboul; her brother Fouad and her brother-in-law, Bedih.  She will be missed and forever loved by her surviving family in Lebanon, sisters Amal and Nabila, brother Issam, brother-in-law Romez, and her many nieces, nephews, and their children.  In Kingsport, she shared a full lifetime with her husband’s family. She is preceded in death by her husband Faheam “Fred” Mire, his parents and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Najla and Fouzie Mire of TN, Faheama and Sam Assid of TN, Selwa and Max Fiskus of VA, and Camille Salman of TX. 

Survivors include her sister-in-law Joanne Salman, daughter Leilah (Mike) Hatcher; son Roger (Gloria) Mire; daughter Valerie Mire; and daughter Nadia (Bain) Butcher.  Ihsan also leaves behind her beloved grandchildren, Jasmine (Scott) Hardin, Nancy (Nick) Cherry, Lindsey (fiancé Nick Marino) and Megan Hatcher, Katie and Nicholas Mire, Alina and Livia Butcher, as well as her cherished great-grandchildren.  She had many nieces and nephews living in all parts of the world, and she loved them dearly and always considered them to be like her own children.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, August 20th at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home in Kingsport.  Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m.; Service at 4:00 p.m., Dr. Marvin Cameron officiating.  Livestream access of the service will be available at https://hamlettdobson.com/hamlett-dobson-kingsport . Graveside service will be Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at Oak Hill Cemetery, 800 Truxton Drive.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Ihsan Kabboul Mire to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (www.stjude.org/donate) or to The Druze Orphans and Charitable Organization (https://www.druzecharity.org/).