Emil John Kasses, of Lake Worth, Florida and formerly of Rockville, Maryland and Norwalk, Connecticut, was called home to be with the Lord on December 22, 2025. He was 97 years old.

Emil, an influential Lebanese-American musician known as a self-taught master of the oud, born in Norwalk, CT on July 2, 1928, was the youngest child of Sarah and Peter (Bautros) Kasses. Peter was born in Mi'ilya, Palestine, which is now Israel. Sarah was from Tyre, Greater Syria, which is now Lebanon. Both parents arrived in the United States in 1910 and 1911, respectively, and married in 1918. Their first child, Adelaide, was born in 1919 and second child, Edward, was born in 1923. He was first married to Veronica Kalashian, originally from Chelsea, MA, in 1955, and was beloved father to David John Kasses and his wife, Karen of Santa Clara, CA, and to Susan Ellen Ahearn and her husband, Brian of Newark, CA. He was grandfather ("Jiddoo") of Alex Kasses and Austin Kasses, of Santa Clara, CA, and Levi Ahearn and Keeghan Ahearn, of Newark, CA. In 1969, he married the late Sonia Nahem (Sultan), originally from Brooklyn, NY.

Emil first became interested in music when he was offered records at a very young age, from a travelling salesman, of Near East music of legendary Egyptian musician, Mohammed Abdul Wahab, who became Emil's greatest musical influence. Emil became a self-taught oudist by listening to these records on an old windup gramophone. By the age of 13, he was an established oud player and vocalist and started to play professionally 3 years later. He lived in Norwalk for several years graduating from Norwalk High School in 1946. He excelled in the school's band and orchestra playing percussion.

By the early 1950's, he enlisted in the US Army, stationed at Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville, NC, for one tour in Army Intelligence. While in the army, he made several musical connections which widely enhanced his musical career. By 1955, he was booked for popular musical festivals like the Silver Anniversary Mahrajan and Annual Lebanese National Festival, and later headlined the entertainment for the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) convention, which serves as the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded by Danny Thomas in 1957. For decades until 2000, he entertained audiences nationally and abroad with other musicians. He is remembered as a bridge between the first generation of Middle Eastern musicians in the U.S. and later performers.

https://soundcloud.com/user-387335530/emil-kasses-251-a-b-moattar-yo-joz-ittietein Emil Kasses record label #251 A-B "Mo'Attar Ya Joz Ittinein." From the collection of Richard M. Breaux.

Aside from and during his musical career, he worked on and off in the family business, the Parkway Open Air Market in Norwalk. He later moved to Silver Spring, MD in 1963, where he played the oud at the Port Said club in Washington, DC, and later worked in retail. In 1970, he became an insurance agent for New York Life and retired at age 92 in 2021. He relocated to Lake Worth, FL in 2010.

Family will receive friends on Thurs., Jan. 8, 2026, 9-11am at the funeral home followed by an 11:30am Celebration of Life service at Saint Nicholas Melkite Catholic Church, 5715 Lake Ida Rd., Delray Beach, FL 33484.  Donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Emil's name.

Professional arrangements are entrusted to:
Gary Panoch Funeral Home
6140 N. Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL 33487
561-997-8580
www.gpanochfunerals.com

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