Teresa Yolanda Girgis

Teresa Girgis was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1934, the eldest of three children of Edmondo Prezzavento and Celestina Gatto. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Egypt was a destination for many Italian immigrants, including  Teresa’s grandparents. The Cairo of Teresa’s youth was cosmopolitan,  assimilating many different cultures and included Italian, French, British, Greek, Turkish, and Armenian communities. It was within this environment that Teresa cultivated a love of languages and fluency in Italian, French,  English, and Arabic. She graduated from Immaculate Conception College in Choubra (a suburb of Cairo) in 1951, and attended St. Clare’s College, where she studied English literature. She then began working as a secretary at the Shell Oil Company in Suez, Egypt, in 1954. There she met her future husband, Badie (pronounced Bah-DEE-yah), an accomplished engineer with the Anglo Egyptian Oilfields. They married in 1957; Michael was born in 1958 and  Caroline in 1961. 

A business trip to the United States in 1966 was the impetus for Badie’s plan to immigrate to the United States, to seek freedom and a better life for his  children. The family left Egypt in May of 1968 and settled in San Mateo that summer, with Badie commencing a second engineering career with Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco. During her first years in the U.S., Teresa worked in various administrative positions, including at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont (now Notre Dame de Namur University). She accompanied Badie on an overseas assignment to Jubail, Saudi Arabia, from 1980-88. While in Saudi Arabia, she was the administrator for the Jubail Kindergarten, a school for the children of expatriate employees from around the word. Her fluency in  languages was a distinct asset at the school. During this period, Badie and  Teresa also had the opportunity to travel widely. They returned to San Mateo in 1988. Following Badie’s passing in 2017, Teresa moved to The Peninsula Regent in 2018, where she spent the last seven years, enjoying friendship, community, and many happy hours with her children.  

Teresa was a devoted wife and mother and a good friend to many; her children were her pride and joy. Her Catholic faith was of great importance to her. She had a special devotion to the Blessed Mother, which influenced the musical selections at this funeral mass. She is survived by her son Michael of  Richmond, CA, daughter Caroline of Belmont, CA, brother Francesco  Prezzavento (Carla Puliti) of Saronno, Italy, and sister Marinella Prezzavento (Raffaele Gargagli) of Vercelli, Italy, and many nieces and nephews,  
grand-nieces and grand-nephews, residing in the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and Egypt. Her children wish to thank the staff at The Peninsula Regent for making Teresa’s years there so comfortable, and especially the Assisted Living Team for their care and attention during the past four months. Teresa’s warmth,  kindness, and gentleness of spirit touched many, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew her.