Hoda Ziade Nassour

And in the autumn, when you gather the grapes of your vineyards for the winepress, say in your heart, “I too am a vineyard, and my fruit shall be gathered for the winepress, And like new wine I shall be kept in eternal vessels.” Kahlil Gibran

Hoda Ziade Nassour, Third Order of Carmelites Nuns – highest position awarded to the laity - passed to her eternal life Saturday, January 29, 2011. She was born in Lebanon on August 25, 1921, the only child of Dr. Najm Ziade and Leila Ghaleb. Hoda attended school in Lebanon, and during her senior year of high school she met and married Dr. Herbert Robert Nassour who had traveled from Texas to Lebanon to study medicine at the American University of Beirut.

After first setting up a home in Lebanon while Herbert was serving in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, they made Texas their home, living in Hamilton, Garland, and eventually Austin. Every place they lived, Hoda emitted a glow of generosity and caring for all those whose lives touched hers. She worked alongside her husband as nurse, technician, accountant, business manager, wife, and mother to their eight children. Although she was a mother of eight, she was also a de facto mother of hundreds, encouraging and helping her children and espoused children along life’s journeys. This life-long commitment was extended to her community and her church well into her eightieth year of life, ending only with her death.

Hoda was a true matriarch, proud, and instrumental in the many professional goals and accomplishments that her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren achieved. Hoda is survived by her eight children: Pauline Rizzo and her husband, Louis; Dr. Paul Nassour and his wife, Judi; Dr. Mary Ghaleb widow of Raymond; Dr. Fay La Fon and her husband, Dr. Robert Postma; Dr. Herbert Nassour III and his wife, Jodi; Jimmy Nassour, Esq. and his wife, Dr. Dina Tebcharany; Virginia Nassour and her husband, Lawrence Charles Jr.; Sammy Nassour and his wife, Hayat Nassour, Esq., as well as 17 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. Special thanks from Hoda’s family to all her physicians and staff at St David’s South Austin hospital, especially the ICU nurses and staff for the extraordinary loving care they extended to their mother. Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock until seven o’clock in the evening on Monday, the 31st of January, at the Our Lady’s of Maronite Catholic Parish, 1320 E. 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78722. A Rosary will be recited at seven o’clock in the evening on Monday at Our Lady’s of Maronite Catholic Parish.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at ten o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 1st of February, at Our Lady’s of Maronite Catholic Parish. Interment will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Austin. In lieu of flowers and the customary remembrances, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, 600 Flowers Ave., Dallas, Texas 75211 or the Our Lady’s of Maronite Catholic Parish.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. Kahlil Gibran