About
Nabil
Nabil was born in Pittsfield, MA on July 21, 1973, the first child of
Ted and Laufey Bustany. The family soon moved to Morristown, New Jersey,
where he would grow up along with his sister, Christine.
In the family, Nabil could be depended on for his humor and playful competitiveness.
His sweetness too was palpable, yet he was no pushover. These qualities
would continue to be apparent in Nabil’s character throughout his
life.
After graduating from Delbarton School in Morristown, he went on to the
Engineering School at Cornell University. In his senior year at Cornell,
at the age of 21, he was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare type
of soft tissue sarcoma that occurs mostly in young adults. He took a few
months off for his treatment, and still received his mechanical engineering
degree without delay in 1995.
After his initial diagnosis, Nabil faced and fought five recurrences
of synovial sarcoma. This he did with grace and dignity, without compromising
his quality of life and his pursuit of happiness, for himself and for
the ones he loved. After graduating from Cornell, he worked for four years
at Andersen Consulting. He then went on to earn his graduate degree at
the Stern School of Business at New York University. It was during his
studies at NYU that he won the love of his wife, Asu.
Nabil's life was just like anyone's, if not better lived. He lived his
life fully, with humor, with love, with hope. He loved this world a lot,
and the whole world loved him back. Anyone who knew him beyond a passing
introduction realized that they were better off for the experience, because
he exuded passion and limitless generosity for his many talents and interests.
Nabil adored music, for example. He would spend hours playing his keyboard
or tinkering with his guitar. His friends and family could always rely
on him for a recommendation, especially his sister, Christine, who was
the beneficiary of many of her brother’s good taste and knowledge
of the best new music.
He also liked art, and had a keen eye for beauty. He enjoyed the fine
things in life, from his mother, Laufey’s, paintings to a good independent
film. He was open to the world and appreciated new experiences, a curiosity
and ingenuity learned from his father.
He was also a fan of sports, almost all sports, though he was most devoted
to baseball and his hometown Yankees. He also enjoyed a good game, and
it was hard to tell who enjoyed winning more—him or Asu, who was
a formidable opponent and the number one fan of his witty jokes and easygoing
laugh.
Nabil had an interest and affinity for just about everything, but perhaps
his most avid passion was traveling. He was always eager to discover new
destinations, happy to taste new flavors, and able to blend in with the
locals. He touched the lives of many and illuminated everyone. It is a
shame that despite his remarkable traveling record, there remain many
corners of the world that he longed to see but will be left unvisited.
The world will never be the same without him. His untimely departure on
August 19, 2006, at the age of 33, leaves a painful void that can't be
filled.
However, one hope remains. We hope that with the support of people who
want to make a difference, further research in synovial sarcoma will soon
make it possible for others to fight this disease with better chances
of winning. Nabil would have wished the same for others with all his big,
generous heart.
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Íslenska