Dr. Hanna Constantine Kutteh

Hanna Constantine Kutteh, beloved family man, active community member, friend of countless individuals from every walk of life, and highly regarded local physician, died peacefully just past midnight on July 16 at Iredell Memorial Hospital. He was 96 years of age and had been convalescing for some years under the excellent attention of staff and loving caretakers, to all of whom the family is deeply grateful.

Dr. Kutteh devoted his entire medical career as an Obstetrician-Gynecologist--a period spanning some five decades--to the care of patients and their babies in Statesville and throughout Iredell and many surrounding counties.

He was born and raised in Palestine. In 1950, he arrived in the United States from Lebanon, where he was a physician and faculty member at the American University of Beirut. He was recruited by Dr. Jim Davis to become the first OB/GYN in Statesville. Unbeknownst to Dr. Kutteh and his wife, Ann Ketchedjian Kutteh, a registered nurse, North Carolina was to become their home for the rest of their lives as political upheaval and war in the Middle East conspired to keep them in the United States. In Statesville they built a medical practice and a family, and with them developed a deep love for and engagement with the community that lasted a lifetime. He was a very generous man, often providing quiet assistance known only to the beneficiary. He was a successful man, but eschewed ostentation. He sought the best in others, but was ever the gentleman. He could be a formidable presence as a father, father-in-law, uncle, or grandfather, but that formidability belied a tender heart and easy sense of humor, with which, blessedly, he also graced his only great grandchild, Cameron, who was born earlier this year. In his spare time he was as comfortable in the financial pages and multi-lingual conversation as he was on the beach or at the lake, filling family hours with his combined sense of purpose and play.

Hospitals, civic organizations, and schools; community organizations and the Broad Street United Methodist Church; and untold numbers of families and individuals were deeply enriched by Dr. Kutteh's leadership, guidance, and volunteer commitment. He and his wife were thoughtful and committed philanthropists. Dr. Kutteh was a friend to any in need and demanded the highest standards of medical care for all his patients with no thought for who they were or where they came from. He was delightfully proud of the thousands of babies he helped deliver over the years, many of whose pictures adorned a wall of his office building on Statesville's Brookdale Drive, a medical office he designed and built, and whose familiar facade still stands in lasting testimony to the impact he had on the community.

Dr. Kutteh's cherished wife of 64 years, Ann, predeceased him in 2014. As was his wife, Dr. Kutteh was most proud of their four children, all of them Statesville born and bred. He and his wife raised them with loving hearts and high expectations, instilling in each of them a deep sense of love of family, personal excellence, and civic responsibility. Dr. Kutteh derived tremendous joy from Costi, Billy, Bobby, and Elaine, and from their spouses, his nine grandchildren, and their still-expanding families. He was also a dear son, close brother and brother-in-law, and a revered uncle whose nieces and nephews treasured him. To his large and far-flung family, he was a supporter and mentor par excellence.

A graveside service will be held at 10 am on Friday July 26, 2019 at Oakwood Cemetery with the Reverend Beverly Coppley and Rev. Dr. Mary John Dye presiding. A gathering of family and friends will follow at the home of Costi & Teresa Kutteh.

Memorials may be made to the Ann K. Kutteh Nursing Scholarship at Mitchell Community College, Broad Street United Methodist Church, Fifth Street Ministries, Iredell Memorial Hospital or Boys and Girls Club of the Piedmont. Condolences may be sent online to the family to www.nicholsonfunerals.com . Nicholson Funeral Home is serving the family.