09/08/2026
Today marks one month since we lost my dad.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un — “Surely we belong to Allah, and to Him we return.”
It’s hard to believe I’m even writing those words. In some ways, it feels like yesterday. In others, it feels like we’ve lived a lifetime in the last month.
I wanted to share this video today because, looking back at it now, the words I spoke while presenting the Dawood Scholarship mean more to me than I ever could have known at the time.
So much of why I care about this community, why I believe so strongly in giving back, and why I’ve always wanted Greco’s to be more than just a place to get ice cream comes from my dad.
My dad made a life for our family here. He worked hard, sacrificed, and gave us opportunities that he didn’t always have himself. Because of him, Lititz became our home. It became the community I grew up in, the community that helped shape me, and eventually the community I was fortunate enough to build a business in and serve.
Our faith teaches us that the good we leave behind can continue long after we are gone. One of those forms of lasting good is sadaqah jariyah — ongoing charity that continues to benefit others.
That idea means more to me now than it ever has before.
It’s why things like the Dawood Scholarship mean so much to me. It’s why we give away ice cream, support local organizations, show up for community events, help families when we can, and try to say “yes” whenever there is an opportunity to do something good.
Those things aren’t just part of Greco’s. They are part of the values my dad left with me. And I hope that every person we are able to help becomes another small piece of the good he put into this world.
This past month has been one of the most difficult periods of our lives. Losing him so suddenly changed our family and changed me in ways I’m still trying to understand. There have been days when simply opening the doors and keeping things moving has been difficult.
To every one of our patrons who has shown us patience, grace, and understanding while our family has grieved: thank you.
Thank you for the messages, prayers, kind words, patience with changes to our hours and operations, and for continuing to support us through a time when we haven’t always been able to give Greco’s the attention we normally would.
You have reminded me why my dad chose to build a life for his family here.
As we move forward, I hope I can continue honoring him in the best way I know how: by taking care of my family, working hard, serving others, and giving back to the community he gave us the opportunity to call home.
I pray that every bit of good we continue to do in his name becomes part of his legacy and a source of reward for him.
One month without you, Dad. We miss you more than words could ever explain.
Everything you worked for, everything you taught us, and everything you sacrificed for us will continue through the lives you built.
May Allah grant you Jannah and allow the good you left behind to continue long after you.
Your legacy lives on, Dad. ❤️
