Maria Đoàn Thị Thoa (Jeanette Doan Le)

Jeanette Đoàn Lê, born Maria Đoàn Thị Thoát on the 31st of December 1949 in the city of Nam Định, Việt Nam, has passed into the loving arms of God on the 23rd of February 2022 in Houston, Texas at the age of 72. A beautiful soul gone far too soon due to devastating complications brought on by COVID infection.

Maria Đoàn Thị Thoát was born a fraternal twin to Đoàn Xuân Hoán, a policeman, and Nguyễn Thị Xit. An unexpected fraternal pregnancy, she was not expected to survive once born, but survive and thrive she did. Her given Vietnamese name, Thoát, means to escape, to survive. She was affectionately called ‘Thoa’ by her family and close friends. In 1954, her family fled to South Việt Nam, to escape the communist Việt Cộng in North Việt Nam. During her 20’s she trained to be and had a career as a nurse until the Fall of Sài Gòn in 1975.

It was at a marketplace in Sài Gòn where she met Lê Văn Lâm, a former officer of the South Vietnamese army and POW who had recently fled the communist re-education camps. They were married on the 1st of April 1978 in a quick, secret ceremony at Giáo Xứ Bùi Phát in Sài Gòn, Việt Nam. He lovingly describes her as the strong beauty who saved his life. They planned to flee from communist Việt Nam immediately after, but God decided to bless them with their first two children. In 1980, after several failed attempts, they were able to escape Việt Nam separately. After receiving a letter from her husband who had landed on Bidong Island, Malaysia, Thoa, while carrying her two young children, led five of her younger siblings on their escape in a small fishing boat. With God’s mercy, their family was miraculously reunited on the beach of Bidong after weeks apart. They were able to establish correspondence with her husband’s family who had fled Việt Nam, years earlier, to the United States of America. With his family’s help, they were resettled in the city of Houston, Texas. Here, they were graced with two more children and were able start a new life, inspired by the hope of the American dream. A new life given to them by God in all His love. She would earn her United States citizenship in 1991, and officially changed her legal name to Jeanette Đoàn Lê.

God blessed her with a large and loving family. She was a devout Catholic Christian, strong in her faith, and steadfast in her devotion to her family. She was a beloved wife and mother who demonstrated self-sacrificing love in her daily life. She worked tirelessly to care and provide for her family and loved ones. Together with her husband, they raised their four children with love, patience, discipline, and humility. Once her children were all in school, she began working for Alcon, a company she remained employed with until her retirement in 2019. She was the strict, yet loving matriarch of her family, not just to her children but her entire extended family. Having helped raise her nieces and nephews, she was instrumental in the upbringing of her eleven grandchildren, even registering her home as a state recognized daycare. She immersed herself in Christian life and regularly volunteered at her parish, Our Lady of La Vang Catholic Church, as well as the Boy and Girl Scouts organization, Liên Đoàn Hướng Đạo La Vang, where she made lifelong friendships.

She was magnificent in the kitchen, showering her family and friends with love by way of her delicious, heartwarming meals. She also enjoyed gardening with her husband and could be found admiring the blooming flowers and harvesting vegetables from their garden. She enjoyed traveling, which unfortunately didn’t happen enough as she always put the needs of her family first. Travel was then further limited with the diagnosis of myelofibrosis early in her 60s.

She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Lâm Văn Lê, her four children, Lan Hoàng Lê, Lan Thiên Lê, David Đoàn Lê, and Suzanne Đoàn Lê along with their spouses, eleven grandchildren: Audrey Nguyễn, Austin Nguyễn, Emma Nguyễn, Elias Nguyễn, Alexandra Kao, Elliot Kao, Emily Kao, Ava Kao, Evan Mai, Owen Mai, and Adam Mai, and her nine siblings: Đoàn Thị Hương, Đoàn Thị Thơm, Đoàn Thị Tho, Đoàn Thị The, Đoàn Xuân Hưng, Đoàn Xuân Huân, Đoàn Thị Thảo, Đoàn Xuân Hiển, Đoàn Xuân Hiếu and their spouses.

A visitation for Jeanette Đoàn Lê will be held Friday, March 4, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM at American Heritage Funeral Home, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038. A funeral mass will occur Saturday, March 5, 2022 from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM at Our Lady of Lavang Church, 12320 Old Foltin Road, Houston, TX 77086. A graveside service will occur Saturday, March 5, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM at Earthman Resthaven Cemetery, 13102 North Fwy, Houston, TX 77060.