6 days ago
Obituary: Nexion executive Robbi Hamida
Robbi Jumaa Hamida, senior vice president of agency operations at Nexion Travel Group, died July 4 after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 50.
Hamida's career began in 1995 with United Airlines. An aviation enthusiast, Hamida went on to work for American Express Travel. He moved to Irving, Texas, in 2001, and two years later founded the Tur Travel agency. He joined Nexion in 2008.
Hamida was recognized with awards throughout his career, including ARC's Travel Agency Representative of the Year in 2018. He was also awarded Delta Airlines' Keep Climbing award in 2024, the first time the award was given to a nonemployee.
Though he was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, he stayed active, traveling around the world, visiting museums and historical sites and attending cooking classes. He was also a frequent visitor of the Texas State Fair.
His impact at Nexion was deep, yet his attitude was playful: Hamida was known for wearing brightly colored and patterned suits on stage at every CoNexion conference.
Robbi Hamida was known for wearing brightly colored and patterned suits at the CoNexion conference. Photo Credit: Jackie Friedman
He died at home with his husband, Warren Bowler, at his side.
The announcement of Hamida's death was met with an outpouring of support on social media.
"His leadership, wisdom and unwavering commitment to the travel industry touched the lives of so many -- both within Nexion and across our broader travel community of partners and advisors," Nexion president Jackie Friedman wrote. "He was more than a leader -- he was an inspiration, a friend and even a bit of a fashionista. We will never forget Robbi's wardrobe of colorful suits he wore at CoNexion."
Friedman praised Hamida's ability to connect with people.
"Robbi had a gift for bringing people together and a rare ability to make everyone feel seen and valued," she said. "His impact reached far beyond the walls of Nexion and will continue to ripple throughout the entire travel community he loved so deeply."
Per Hamida's request, no services will be held, but donations in his memory can be made to the Chicago Architecture Center.
