WILMINGTON — Iris Naguib Fahmy David, beloved mother, grandmother, sister and friend, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 20th, 2025, in Wilmington, North Carolina. She was 90 years old.
Born in Cairo, Egypt, Iris immigrated to the United States at age 29 with her husband Dr. Fouad Rashed David, a surgeon (Urologist) and their one-year-old child, Natalie, beginning a new life in Houston, Texas.
Iris continued her work as a teacher in the United States and furthered her education at The University of St. Thomas where she received a master’s degree in education with an endorsement in special education. She spent many years as an elementary school teacher and ESL teacher in Houston, TX, touching countless lives with her patience, gentleness, and gift for making every child feel safe, seen and heard. Iris spent close to 40 years living in Houston, TX with her husband, Dr. David. In the past 25 years, she lived between Los Angeles, CA and Wilmington, NC with her children.
Iris was known for her nurturing spirit, her kindness, and the way she created warmth everywhere she went. She lived a life rooted in love, dedication, and quiet strength, and her greatest joy came from being a mother and grandmother. She was preceded in death by her husband, Fouad R.D. David, MD.
She is survived by her two children, Natalie David and her husband Dr. Jeffrey Litzinger and Mark David and his wife Lorna Larkin David, her sister Mary Greiss Shipley, and her five adored grandchildren, Sophia Jane Litzinger (21), Isabelle Marie Litzinger (19), Mark David Litzinger (19), Georgia Iris Anne David (4) and Beau Jesse Mark David (2), each of whom felt uniquely cherished by her.
A devout Catholic, Iris found comfort and meaning in her faith, and she lived by the values of compassion, generosity, and grace. She will be remembered for her warm smile, her unwavering love for her family, and the gentle presence that made everyone feel at home. Iris made her children’s friends feel welcome at the David home throughout the years, many who felt like she was a “second Mom” to them. She was known for her Egyptian cooking, her sense of humor and her genuine warmth.
She leaves behind a legacy of love that will continue in the hearts of her family and all who were blessed to know her. Iris will live on forever in the hearts of her family, who she loved immensely. She is missed dearly.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a children’s charity, reflecting Iris’s lifelong dedication to children.
