Vice President and Director of Lab Systems at Geocomp, native of Algeria
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Rachid Hankour (Courtesy photo)
Rachid Hankour, 53, of Harvard, died of cancer on Dec. 17, 2013, with his wife by his side.
Rachid was from Oran, Algeria, the son of Mohammed and Fatiha Hankour. He was the beloved husband of Caroline Fish, and loving father of Zakia, Nadir, and Kamil. He is also survived by a large extended family in Algeria including sisters Majida and Siham, and brothers Nacer and Hamid. He is also survived by his brother Chafik and wife Yasmina of Acton, and by his sister Badiaa of France.
Rachid was a vice president and the director of Lab Systems at Geocomp Corporation of Acton, where he had worked since 1994. He was responsible for worldwide and domestic sales, installation and training, marketing, and design for the company’s line of automated materials-testing equipment. His work brought him to over 40 countries, where he loved the opportunity to work with people and make lasting partnerships and friendships. Rachid was a natural teacher. In 2011 he was appointed Professor of the Practice in Civil Engineering at Tufts University, in recognition of his expertise in state-of-the-art geotechnical testing and instrumentation and his commitment to excellence in teaching.
Rachid grew up in a loving family that valued education. He was an avid reader of books and an inspired painter and dreamer who wanted to see the world. A natural student from an early age, he was sent to school at three years old to accompany an older brother. Rachid was educated in Arabic during secondary school and in French at the University of Sciences and Technology, where he studied civil engineering. Because of his talents there, he was one of 30 students from the university chosen by the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education to study abroad. In 1984, Rachid arrived in the United States with only two hundred dollars and speaking no English. He received a master’s degree in 1988 and in 1991 earned a doctorate in geotechnical engineering from Tufts University. Rachid and Caroline met at Tufts and married in 1991. They moved to Park Lane in Harvard in 2000.
Rachid was a creative thinker who enjoyed solving problems and tackling projects. He loved to spend time with his family, garden, take photographs, and travel the world. A people-person to the core, Rachid’s trademarks were his ever-present smile, infectious optimism, and buoyant personality. Although his life ended too early, his family is grateful that Rachid was able to live out his dreams. He will be missed by friends around the globe and cherished by his family.
On Dec. 18, Rachid was laid to rest at the Gardens at Gethsemane following a traditional Muslim prayer service. A remembrance of Rachid’s life was held on Jan. 2 at the Winthrop Street Function Hall on the campus of Tufts University. Donations in his memory can be made to local food banks.
