Adel Fawzy Iskander (29 Oct 1953 - 21 Oct 2025)

Adel Fawzy Iskander was the 3rd of 4 children, born to Lamea Sedra Shahba and Fawzy Iskander Samaan (a Transport Company Director) at 3am on 29th October 1953 in Shoubra, Cairo, Egypt.

In his younger years, he was very active within the church community and took a keen interest in chess, card games, backgammon and football, supporting the Cairo-based team Al-Ahly. He grew up looking up to his older brother Farid and older sister Faiza, looking after his younger sister Afaf.

Adel studied at the Faculty of Commerce, Helwan University, Cairo from 1972-1975, focussing and receiving good grades in Business Administration, Accounting and English Language. He also worked as a construction labourer in Kloster, Switzerland during the summer of 1974.

Adel wanted to seek a better life outside of Egypt, where he was destined for mandatory military service once his studies were complete. His older brother Farid advised him of the challenges he faced with the army, both in terms of the military action, and the treatment received as a Brethren Christian minority. He was the first member of his family to leave Egypt in 1975, settling in London, where he and a few other Egyptians worked together, mostly in catering. He worked hard to build a life for himself in the UK, performing extra tasks for his employer, including on Sundays when necessary. Outside of work, he maintained a good group of friends, regularly socialising and playing backgammon and card games as he did in his youth.

Whilst in London, he met Jennifer Thorne in 1980. They married later that year in Gainsborough, and they bought their first house together in Wembley, London. They decorated it and turned it into a family home. Then two sons were born, Simon in 1983 and Paul in 1985.

In 1988, the family decided to leave London. Nottingham was the chosen destination. Jennifer's parents had already settled in nearby Keyworth, and there were more affordable opportunities for Adel to achieve his dream, setting up his own café business from scratch. Buddies Café opened on Upper Parliament Street in Nottingham City Centre later in 1988, coinciding with moving into the newly built home in West Bridgford.

The café business was his life. He proactively managed and ran the business 6 long days per week, sometimes 7 days when local building projects were taking place in the local area. His evenings and Sundays were often spent working through accounts, and replenishing catering stocks from the local cash and carry stores. His priority above everything else was always to provide for his family. His sons observed their fathers’ efforts, and it instilled a strong work ethic within both of them to research their future careers and commit to their studies. Times were however difficult. Adel had two mortgages to pay, one on the family home and the other on the café property with no additional family income. Holidays for Adel were also scarce, with Jennifer regularly taking their sons away to UK-based relatives during the holidays. Unfortunately, the business was not sustainable despite all Adel’s efforts. In 1999, the café property and business were sold. This was very difficult for Adel to accept, avoiding visiting Nottingham City Centre for several years following the closure unless absolutely necessary.

He however maintained a pragmatic attitude, knowing he had to find an alternative income to support his family. He quickly sought new employment, taking on roles within the Nottinghamshire area within sales (Kirby) and manufacturing (Hydra Spa). Adel eventually settled on the DHL Logistics Terminal at East Midlands Airports in 2001. He worked 9pm-5am every weekday evening, gaining steady promotions, applying his previous business and management skills as well as new IT skills. Whilst the hours were still unsociable, Adel had a stable income and more time to pursue life outside of work. He would have multiple active domestic DIY projects, finding solutions to any problems he encountered and then always moving straight on to the next one. He would eventually take some time off to relax, watching football at home, the soap Home and Away or browsing the internet. He also used his spare time to support his family. His grandson Waseem was born in 2010, and he visited family in Egypt more frequently. Following a series of cardiovascular health issues and on review of his pension, he chose to retire at 64 years of age in 2018.

Once his health had stabilised after retirement, he continued to stay active with DIY tasks in the family home, his sons’ houses, supporting his neighbours and friends. He continued to support his family, cooking heart-warming meals, where he expressed his creativity and underwent a selfless and painful eye operation to donate cells to his oldest son, in the attempt to improve his vision. He also regularly supported his brother, sisters and their families from afar particularly, his Egyptian nephews as they sought advice on relocating to Western-cultured. He also travelled more, visiting Egyptian friends and family both in Egypt and the USA.

2025 started strong for Adel. He was strong and healthy, supporting his youngest son’s endeavours to return to Nottingham from Wales. He and Jennifer travelled for holidays in Morocco, Spain and had Bulgaria planned. He also travelled to Egypt to support his older brother following a bad fall.

However, sadly in June 2025 he started to experience neurological symptoms that left him in a critical condition in hospital. This was eventually diagnosed as Progressive Encephalomyelitis with Rigidity and Myoclonus (PERM), a very rare and misunderstood illness. Adel fought very hard, and multiple treatments were attempted, but his overall condition gradually deteriorated. Adel Fawzy Iskander passed away at 01:00am Tuesday 21st October 2025. He was by far the strongest within the immediate family and leaves a huge gap in our lives which can never be refilled.

He was a kind, giving and forgiving gentleman. A strong, silent character to his immediate family, who never sought praise or applause, and a warm friend, colleague, brother and uncle to everyone else. He cherished many life-long friendships across Egypt and North America. He was always prepared to give his time to advise, guide and support. He would also often send money to the family in Egypt, to aid their medical care and charitable causes within the church community.

If you wish to make a donation in Adel’s memory, we have chosen 2 charities.
-The Brain Charity supports people with a wide range of neurological conditions.
-Guide Dogs for the Blind trains and provide guide dogs for the visually impaired, allowing for newfound independence and mobility