Dr. Salah S. El-Shakhs, Ph.D., 90, of Princeton, New Jersey; Wellfleet, Massachusetts; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, died after a brief illness on July 17, 2025, in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. He was buried the next day at The Princeton Cemetery following prayers at the Islamic Society of Central Jersey. A Celebration of Life is being planned for later this year.

Salah is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years, Judy Page Coghlin El-Shakhs, and their three children: Tamer, Hisham (Jennifer), and Muna (David), as well as four cherished grandchildren: Benen, Malek, Galena, and Billy. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews around the world, and countless friends who will miss him dearly.

Born on February 23, 1935, in Shirbin, Egypt, Salah was the youngest of four children. With two older brothers Abdel Rahman and Abdel Monem, and an older sister Nafeesa. With the encouragement of his eldest brother Abdel Rahman who became a teacher, he pursued education with passion. He earned a Bachelor's in Architecture from Cairo University in 1956, then came to the U.S. on a scholarship to Harvard, where he completed a Master's in City Planning in 1961 and a Ph.D. in 1965. While in Boston, he met Judy, whom he married in Cairo in 1966.

The couple began their life together in Egypt, where Salah was Director of Long-Range Planning for Greater Cairo and served on the Presidential Advisory Committee on National Housing Strategies. Their sons Tamer and Hisham were born during this time. In 1969, the family returned to the U.S., settling in Princeton, where their daughter Muna was born and Salah began a long and distinguished career at Rutgers University.

At Rutgers, Salah became a professor of urban planning and the founding director of the School of Urban and Regional Policy (a predecessor to the Bloustein School). He also chaired Urban Studies and directed the Committee on Middle Eastern Studies. He received the university's Presidential Award for Distinguished Public Service and retired in 2005.

Salah's work as a planner, scholar, and consultant had global reach. He was a Senior Fulbright Scholar in Egypt and presented research at leading institutions across Asia, Europe, and North America. He consulted for organizations including the UN, US AID, and Dar Al Handassah, and contributed to city planning projects in Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. His writings explored urban development in the Muslim world, systems of cities, and modernization in developing nations.

Among his most treasured roles was mentoring international students through the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, which he coordinated at Rutgers from 1995 to 2005. The Fellows—mid-career professionals from around the world—were welcomed into his home and heart. He postponed retirement more than once to remain involved and maintained lifelong friendships with many of them.

Despite his many professional achievements, Salah was, above all, a devoted husband, father, and friend. He embraced life with joy—traveling, dancing, laughing, and sharing good food. His love of the ocean drew him to Wellfleet, where summer days were spent at Newcomb Hollow Beach, and to Fort Lauderdale, where winters brought sun, surf, and gatherings with friends. A photo he took of Newcomb Hollow was once featured on the cover of Wellfleet Magazine, and he continued boogie boarding well into his 80s.

Even in retirement, Salah never slowed down. He worked out daily, danced at every opportunity—from country line dancing in New Jersey to salsa in Florida—and kept a full calendar of visits with friends and family. He and Judy hosted summer and winter gatherings, never missing a chance to celebrate life and loved ones.

When asked about future living arrangements after his 90th birthday, Salah laughed off the idea of slowing down, saying, "I'm in the prime of my life!" Even as illness came suddenly, he reflected with gratitude: "I've had a wonderful life and done everything I wanted to do."

He leaves behind not only an impressive legacy of scholarship and service, but also a model of generosity, curiosity, and joy. His greatest accomplishments were rooted in his love—for Judy, for his children and grandchildren, and for a life fully lived.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Salah's honor to Islamic Relief USA or to the Islamic Society of Central Jersey.