Vestavia Hills resident celebrates centennial birthday
Thabet Mikhail recently celebrated his 100th birthday at a party arranged by his daughter, Isis Mikhail, also of Vestavia Hills.
Thabet, a native of Egypt, left the publishing company he owned in Cairo, where he handled printing for the American Embassy, to emigrate to the U.S. in the 1980s. After a brief stint in Washington, D.C., he relocated his family to the Tyler Road area of Vestavia Hills, and his daughter said he’s never looked back.
“For me, my dad is my hero,” Isis said. “He has always been encouraging me to learn and to further my education.”
Following his advice, she eventually earned a doctorate in public health from UAB, an accomplishment she credits to Thabet’s encouragement.
Thabet’s milestone birthday has drawn plenty of attention, mainly from those his junior who want to know the secret to happy, healthy longevity.
“He’s always stayed active,” said Isis. “Even though he had a car, he often chose to walk to work.”
She added that his healthy lifestyle habits were accompanied by what is often underestimated in the discussion of personal health.
“He’s just a very loving person,” she said. “He loves people. He likes to be happy, to joke, and is just very interested in others.”
That genuine interest sparked a decades-long friendship in a place one might not expect – amidst the hustle and bustle of the Riverchase Galleria.
“His love for Birmingham I can tell you was the Galleria,” she said. “For years, every day he would drive to the Galleria and take a walk around the mall. He thought it was the best mall he had ever seen. Two of his closest friends to this day are Mr. and Mrs. John Lossie, who he met there. The Lossies still visit him every Sunday.”