FLINT, MI - In her final days, Sally Shaheen Joseph still stuck true to her Lebanese roots eating kibbee and laban that she relished with pride. For those who knew her -- and many did -- it’s not a surprise considering Joseph loved Lebanese food as much as anyone. Raising five children in the Flint area, Joseph always prepared a full meal for her family.
“It didn’t matter how much she was working or in school, it was a full on sit at the table and eat a full meal,” said Stephanie Long, Sally’s daughter. “We were expected to be there.” Joseph died in her sleep May 26 from complications of Parkinson’s disease at age 91.
She was born in Michigan City, Ind., but Flint later became her home and where she left a lasting legacy. Joseph left home at 16 to pursue a singing career as the lead jazz singer in a group called “Sally Shane and the Four Ways,” leaving audiences captivated by her powerful voice.
She had memorable adventures on the road as a performer and once had Sammy Davis, Jr., offer to pay for her appendectomy at the Town Casino in Buffalo, N.Y.
“He was performing and she was in one of the side rooms and she got very ill,” Long said. “She didn’t go on because she was in the hospital. Sammy Davis Jr.
got word of it and knew she wasn’t making a lot of money, so he offered to pay for it.” Long said it’s been a sad time for her family mourning Joseph’s loss, but also a beautiful time reflecting back on her memories. “We found a stack of o.
