After a brave battle with frontotemporal dementia, Hoa DeAtley died on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 in Prescott, Arizona. She was 63.

Hoa was born on March 5, 1953 in Ha Noi, Vietnam to Kiem and Lan Ngo. Amid Vietnam’s political turbulence and military conflict of that era, Hoa grew up in a loving family, with her brother Khiem and an extensive network of uncles and aunts, cousins and countless friends. Following the completion of high school, she left home to attend university in Fribourg, Switzerland, where she graduated with a degree in education.  

She emigrated to the United States in 1975, joining her parents and brother who had by then moved to Dallas, Texas. Here in the States, she started her career, started her family, lived a full life. Hoa’s work was in banking … but her devotion was to her family, her hidden talent was in craft-making and her passion was Dallas sports. She spent hours upon hours at her kids’ activities. She excelled at creating tasteful pieces of home decor—from curtains and cross-stitch to Christmas wreaths. She would talk to anyone about the Cowboys and the Mavericks. In her later years, before her illness, she loved spending as much time as possible doting on her grandchildren.

Hoa is survived by her husband Dennis DeAtley; her son Danny DeAtley, daughter-in-law Bonnie DeAtley and their children Emma, Josh and Kate; her daughter Kimberly DeAtley; her mother Lan Ngo; her brother Khiem Ngo, sister-in-law Hien Ngo and their children Anthony and Andrew; as well as numerous cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. She is preceded in death by her father Kiem.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Carrollton, Texas at 10AM on Saturday, November 19, with a reception to follow at the church (1705 E. Peters Colony Rd., Carrollton, TX 75007). In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (www.theaftd.org).