Dr Abdulghani Taki Makki, Italy

Dr. Abdulghani Makki, 79, was a Dentist and children’s book author from Sant’Elpidio a Mare, Italy. He died from Covid-19 on March 24, 2020.

Born in Aleppo, Syria, in 1941, Makki was not only known as a doctor but also as a cultural pillar in his local community in Sant’Elpidio a Mare, in Italy’s Marche region.

“He was a symbol of cultural integration, his tales will be his legacy,” said his friend Corrado Virgili, who last saw him on March 2.

After studying medicine and surgery in Italy, he had planned to return to Syria. But he fell in love with an Italian woman and had called Italy home since 1961.

Makki specialised in reanimation as well as paediatrics, and later dentistry. He helped his eldest daughter Leila open and run a family clinic.

“He would work with passion to assist his patients, never forgetting his role of husband, father and grandfather,” Leila told Al Jazeera.

When he was not looking after his patients, Makki would tell stories to his granddaughters – talents that saw him author children’s books.

In his tales, Makki mixed Arab and Italian traditions to foster intercultural dialogue in his local community.

Leila says her father’s love for Syria and Italy was equal. “In our household, there was no difference between Muslim and Christian, Italian or Syrian. My sister and I grew up with a broader understanding of humankind, thanks to him,” she said.

His latest book, illustrated by his friend Virgili, will be published posthumously with the title Mariam and the Savannah Queen.

Al Jazeera