Obituary – Ali Mohammed Mustapha, P.E.
Ali Mohammed Mustapha, P.E., of Shreveport, Louisiana, passed away surrounded by his family on April 19, 2025.
Ali was born in Lebanon on Feb. 1, 1958. He immigrated to the United States of America in 1981 and attended Louisiana Tech University, from which he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1985.
As a well-respected and admired member of the civil engineering community, Ali Mustapha, P.E., served the City of Shreveport for 25 years and the Levee Board of Caddo Parish for 10 years. He achieved a variety of occupational milestones and contributed valuable insights to the civil engineering profession.
He was a Fellow Member of the National Society for Professional Engineers (NSPE) and belonged to the Louisiana Engineering Society (LES), at one point serving as its president. Ali was also a Fellow Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), for which he once served as the president of the Louisiana Section and, from 2014 until 2020, acted as the Louisiana Section’s Governor on the Region 5 Board.
Additionally, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco appointed him to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board (LAPELS), for which he was a former chairman. As part of the Curricular Advisory Board for the Louisiana Tech Civil Engineering program, he helped sharpen the knowledge base of future civil engineers. On the Louisiana Capital Outlay Architectural and Engineering Selection Committee, he provided incisive input. He belonged to the Engineers Selection Board for the Office of Facility and Planning, with which he reviewed plans submitted by engineering companies for work on projects for the State of Louisiana.
Ali served on the Trenchless Technology Center’s Industry Advisory Board (IAB) for many years, and as the vice chairman for the past several years. He also previously served on the IABs for both the Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology programs at LA Tech, including serving as chairman for a time.
He was preceded in death by his father, Mohammad; his mother, Sheikha Omar; and his brother Mustapha.
He is survived by his wife, Rita Darlene Mustapha; his daughter, Angela Mustapha; his son, Ryan Mustapha and his fiancée, Esereal Gebrehiwot; his daughter, Sara Thines and her husband, Benjamin Thines; his stepdaughter, Brandi Knotts and her husband, Steven Knotts; his stepson, Jeremy Gordano and wife, Kristi Gordano; grandsons Hayden and Holden Knotts; granddaughter Ainsley Gordano; and granddaughters Cora and Amira Thines. He is also survived by his brothers Ahmad, Adel, Issam, Ibrahim, and Samih Mustapha, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Even though it is a cliché, it is also true—words cannot express all the nuances of the amazing man Ali was or capture how much his family and friends loved him. They appreciated his warmth and generosity. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, who cherished spending time with his family members.
Ali and his beloved Rita were TV buddies, and they traveled extensively, visiting countless places, including San Francisco, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Lebanon, Israel, and many more. Watching his children grow into the people they are today brought him immense joy and pride. His family all over the world treasured their frequent conversations with him, and he always eagerly looked forward to speaking with them.
Ali possessed a special bond with his grandchildren, the youngest of whom affectionately called him CeeDee. He will always be with those who loved him and so will not be thought of in the past tense.
A come-and-go Celebration of Life will took place April 22 and on April 23, the family held a visitation and funeral at Antioch Baptist Church in Leesville, Louisiana. A graveside service followed at the Antioch Cemetery. Ryan Mustapha, Jeremy Gordano, Steven Knotts, Hayden Knotts, Richard Savoie and Patrick Furlong served as pallbearers.
