Nadia Al-Mutairi

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”--Colossians 2:6-7 Nadia Almutari was promoted to glory on February 5, 2025. Nadia spent her entire life surrounded by communities that radiated love – and the greatest expression of that love is her beloved son, Amir Aguilar. Nadia’s earthly pilgrimage began on June 27th, 1982, in Geneva, Illinois. She was tenderly welcomed into this world by her mother’s large Chicago Irish Catholic family, who showered their first grandchild with affection and enduring love from her very first breath. When her mother, Chris Burke, first held Nadia, she marveled at Nadia’s lovely black hair and deep purple eyes. Amir was also born with a full head of shiny black hair, and Nadia and Amir both learned to talk early (and a lot!). Nadia was raised in Macomb, Illinois. There, she forged an unbreakable bond with the people and land. She described her childhood and adolescence as “endless fun”, and she proudly sported orange and black as a Macomb High School varsity athlete in basketball, tennis, and track and field. Nadia especially adored her basketball teammates, The 309 Girls, and said that her graduating class was uncommonly close. Her other fond memories of Macomb included working at Dairy Queen, perfecting her dip cone technique by mastering the art of the curly cue and ensuring accurate weight; selling (or not selling!) Girl Scout cookies; and just driving around with friends, bored and looking for something to do. Despite that her only agricultural experience was a summer job detasseling corn, Nadia also spoke authoritatively on the superiority of the local crop, disputing reports that Iowa’s corn production exceeded that of Illinois. Even after permanently settling in Chicago as an adult, and after trips to Macomb became less and less frequent, Nadia remained a “Macombie Homie.” The close-knit rural upbringing that she cherished was a model for the wonderful life that she later built with Amir. Nadia had a fast mind and inquisitive spirit to match her athletic prowess. She left Macomb to study philosophy at DePaul University, where she developed a special affection for Kant. Now based in Chicago, she again nurtured relationships that would last to the very end. After college, she followed in her mother’s footsteps, choosing a career in special education. Nadia was known as a fierce and fearless advocate for students with disabilities, ensuring that her pupils had access to the excellent education, enriching activities, and extraordinary support network that every child deserves. Nadia’s greatest journey was motherhood. She found her counterpart in Amir, whose mind and mouth matched her own. Her love for him was all-consuming and boundless. To make certain that his academic career leads to the prestigious college that he desires to attend, Nadia presciently secured employment as a Special Education Classroom Assistant (SECA) at the nationally ranked high school where Amir is currently enrolled. Nadia and Amir often ate lunch together during the school year, discussing everything from the consolidation of the German state after Franco-Prussian War, Japanese labor law, the Roman legion’s maneuvers against the Germanic tribes, the virtues of Dolly Parton, corn v. soybeans, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s oeuvre. No topic was too grand or trivial. Other treasured memories include trips to Alaska’s interior and California, visiting Nadia’s endlessly funny friends, and the never-ending quest to find the one sock that mysteriously slipped off Amir’s foot at some point during the day. Nadia happily raised Amir, now 16, with her longtime partner, Rafael “Ralf” Reyes, Jr. Ralf was her best friend and Amir’s father in every way that mattered. Nadia and Ralf enjoyed taking scenic road trips, going to their regular dining haunts, and listening to live music. Nadia was nurturing, intelligent, kind, beautiful, and stoic. She considered herself a servant, committed to providing all of her students an accommodating, validating, and exhilarating education. She loved to cook, bake, talk about obscure topics, and would gladly provide counsel to anyone who asked (or didn’t!). Nadia has been reunited with her beloved grandfather, “Grumpy,” her grandmother, “Granny,” as well as her uncle, Billy Burke. Granny was the source of Nadia’s belief in God and the mysteries of faith, the gentle force that was the blueprint for the maternal grace and quiet spiritual power that Nadia exuded. Nadia is survived by her son, the joy of her life, Amir Aguilar; her unwavering and devoted mother, Chris Burke; her loving sister and best friend, Amira, and Amira’s supportive husband Khlaf and their children, her adored nephews Rakan and Nayef; her cherished brothers, Faisal and Zee; numerous treasured aunts and uncles; many dear cousins; her lifelong sisters from another mother Candy and Jenny Crabill; her devoted partner Ralf and his kind-hearted and bright children, Ivelisse and Fabian, and Ralf’s sweet grandchild DJ; Fayez; countless devoted and loving friends, and her gentle and wise feline companion, Gertrude. Nadia’s life was a gift to all who knew her. Though she is gone, her love remains-woven into the lives she touched, the students she fought for, and the son she adored. She is not lost to us; she is everywhere. In every song that plays on a road trip, in every lively debate among friends, in every lesson taught with passion, and in every quiet act of kindness. She lives on. Services will be held at Schielka Addison Street Funeral Home, at 7710 W. Addison Steet, Chicago, IL 60634, on Saturday February 15th, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. There will be a second memorial in Macomb, Illinois, in June 2025, during Heritage Days. The family will send out details as the event date gets closer. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, please consider donating to a fund to achieve Nadia and Amir's wish for him to pursue higher education. Contributions can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/education-fund-for-nadia-almutairis-surviving-son-amir by searching “Education fund for Nadia Almutairi’s surviving son, Amir” on GoFundMe.com For those who are unable to donate, please consider sharing a story and/or picture of Nadia so that Amir is provided more opportunities to learn about his mother and her mighty love. “Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.” -Rossiter W. Raymond

Tributes

Nadia Al-Mutairi

June 27, 1982 - February 5, 2025