Aramcon Retiree Nuri Erel Passed Away

Deceased: 2 January 2009

Under: Obituary

Aramcon retiree Nuri Erel passed away at his home in Hilton Head, South Carolina on January 2, 2009. Nuri is survived by his beautiful wife Verda, daughter Pelin, and son Burak.

The following is a tribute to Nuri, written by his friend Henny Gray.

My first opportunity to get to know Nuri was in 1981. He came to my house with some other friends for dinner. That night was the first of many dinners, parties and great times that we would share over the years that we lived and worked together in Ras Tanura.

I learned several things from Nuri that first night. First and foremost, he was genuine and generous to a fault and a gentleman of the highest order. He told me how he first came to the States to attend college in Michigan, refusing to fly any other airline except Pan Am. He was coming to the States to be an American and he was intent on doing from the start. He worked in the dining halls, dormitories, and car plants to put himself through school and eventually earned a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. That in itself told me all I had to know about Nuri to understand who he was and what he stood for.

One of the other things I learned that night was Nuri could eat more that any person I ever knew! This was to become a subject that we would joke about for years to come, eventually earning him the nickname "Hoover". This kind of appetite can have a devastating effect on most people, but Nuri was an athlete. He participated in triathlons and other sports and was able to maintain his strength and physique well past the time when most of us were looking for the "Lazy Boy" after a long day of golf.

Like many of us during the 80's, Nuri worked in the northern area assigned to the Barge Division. He gained respect as a dedicated employee and made many friends while doing his job on the ARB-1 and ARB-2.

One of those friends (and there were many) was El Ziska. Another guy much like Nuri, El stayed by Nuri's side through much of his illness and was with him when he left us on January 2, 2009. Many thanks to him for making Nuri's struggle a little easier and being there for Nuri and Verda when he was needed the most.

We all lived away from home during the week, working long hours and trying to make the best of it. One memorable moment that we laughed about for years was when we were all living in the old Safaniya camp and working out of portable offices. Nuri would normally come to the office around 5:00 AM to start his 12 hour day, not realizing that the previous night Tom Mills had gone into Nuri's office and unlocked one of the windows. Tom had climbed through the window at around 4:30 and got under Nuri's desk. When Nuri came in and sat down, you can only imagine how he screamed when Tom grabbed his leg. Only Tom and Nuri know, it was one of those times you had to be there. We laughed so hard during the numerous times the story was told and no one laughed harder than Nuri.

On the weekends we would get together and have some of the most memorable times of my life. We had beautiful dinners and parties, we would dance well into the night and sometimes pay for it the next day when it was time to go launch the Hobie Cats at the Yacht Club. We sailed and laughed and generally ended the day smoking Cuban Cigars and watching the beautiful waters of the Gulf as the sun set behind us.

I was fortunate enough to be able to make a trip to Turkey with Nuri and Verda, it was a fantastic time and they were wonderful hosts. For those of you that have done it, you know what I'm talking about, for those who haven't I can only say it was an experience I will never forget. We enjoyed lavish dinners on the Bosphorus and a trip to the Black Sea. When we toured the Souks, Nuri would be so caught up in his culture that he would speak to me in Turkish while I stared blankly, waiting for him to realize I didn't have a clue what he was saying. It happened often and was always good for a laugh.

As Nuri made his final journey back to Turkey, my heart is heavy. He takes a piece of me with him. He was bigger than life and I loved him like a brother. I feel fortunate to have known Nuri and to have shared the numerous good times together. I keep his picture on my fridge and the many memories in my heart.

Rest well, my Brother, your journey has been admirable.

Henny Gray