Evie Engelin Liem

No one could have guessed how far into the world Evie’s journey would reach. Born on November 25, 1936, in Dutch-Indonesia, she was the fourth of seven children born to Peter, an officer and a gentleman, and Song Tanahatoe, the formidable "glue" of their family. After surviving World War II in Indonesia, Evie and her family moved to their homeland of the Netherlands following Indonesian independence. It was there that she met Vincent Liem—a skinny, optimistic kid who perfectly matched her own boundless sense of adventure.

They married in 1961, immigrated to the United States in 1963, and never looked back. Together, they built an ideal life spanning over 60 years as constant companions and best friends, raising their two sons, Andrew and Brian, first in Torrance, California, and later in Houston, Texas. Their beautiful life together was meticulously documented in thousands of photographs and hundreds of handmade scrapbooks.

Evie lived life with an infectious enthusiasm. Her many passions included jitterbugging with Vincent—even winning first place in a dance contest aboard the Allure of the Seas—bowling in state and national tournaments, traveling to over 40 countries, doing headstands in yoga, crafting with anything she could find, radiating confidence with her own personal style, watching her favorite soap operas, and cooking up incredible feasts in her immaculately kept home. She was also fiercely competitive, playing a mean game of volleyball, table tennis, or any board game she could get her hands on.

Evie’s life was also marked by deep love and resilient strength through profound loss. The passing of her firstborn son, Andrew, whose bright life was cut short by lupus at age 21, brought both joy and lasting sadness, rendering her love bittersweet. She was later deeply affected by the loss of her parents, and the passing of her beloved Vincent at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic became a major turning point. Following a period of steady decline with dementia, Evie has finally found peace.

Above all, Evie was anchored by her unwavering connection to God, which served as her lifelong lifeline. Her faith was present in every moment—from saying grace at every meal and saying prayers at night, to constantly humming hymns and belting them out at church. Her spiritual dedication culminated in over 25 years of active service as a member of Pathway Church in Burleson. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to Pathway Church in her honor.

Evie is survived by her son, Brian; her son-in-law, Adam; her grandson, Milo; and a loving assortment of surviving siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Vincent, and her son, Andrew.

Evie had a deep love for musicals; if you take a moment to listen to Mario Lanza singing the secular hymn, “I’ll Walk with God,” or Renee Flemings version of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel, or Barbra Streisand’s version of “Memory” from Cats you can surely hear Evie singing right along.