TUR ABDIN: Syriac Church Foundation chairman and former deputy mayor Anto Beth Bisse passes away in Midyat

MIDYAT, Turkey – The chairman of the Syriac Church Foundation in Midyat Anto Nuay Beth Bisse died Friday of a heart attack in his hometown of Midyat, reports Syriac newspaper Gazete Sabro. Rushed medics were unable to save 80-year-old Bisse.

Anto Beth Bisse was born in 1941 in Midyat, Tur Abdin, father of four sons and five daughters, and a leading member of the Syriac community in the former all-Syriac town.

During his long career in public service, he served as a municipal official, city councilor, and deputy mayor for many years until his retirement. He also chaired the Syriac Church Foundation in Midyat for more than 20 years.

Merhum Anto Nuay'a Allan'tan rahmet, tüm Süryani Halkı, ailesi ve sevenlerine başsağlığı diliyorum. pic.twitter.com/Ftn9K71c6p

— Tuma Çelik (@tuma_celik) December 3, 2021

A vigil for the deceased will be held at the Syriac Orthodox Mor Barsaumo Church in Midyat. The extended family in the diaspora will hold a vigil at the Mor Ephrem Church in Södertälje, Sweden.

There are still some 120 Syriac families in Midyat from what was once a thriving all-Syriac city. The majority of the current Midyat residents are Kurds. The Syriac Midyat diaspora runs into the tens of thousands with large communities in Germany and Sweden.