Be Thi (Vu) Horner Obituary (1941 - 2024)

Be Thi (Vu) Horner of Malone, New York, passed away at her home on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at the age of 82. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend. She had a kind and witty soul and would quickly charm new friends from strangers. Be will be forever loved and deeply missed by her family, friends and all who knew her. Be grew up in An Tap, a small village in Vietnam near the South China Sea. She was a determined and adventurous young woman; teaching herself Kung-Fu when she was denied lessons, driving motorcycles and off-road vehicles against her mother's wishes, only crashing once that we know of. She left school early, married young and gave birth to three daughters in Vietnam; Hien (Teri), Oanh Kim, and Lanh (Tina) before her first husband, Le Van Hoang, was lost to the war. Later, she met Donald Horner in Saigon. They were married in 1968 and she left for the United States with her daughters Hein (Teri) and Lanh (Tina) and her new husband. Growing up near the sea, Be developed a love of swimming whether it was in an ocean, a lake, a river or a pool. If she was given a chance, she would be in the water swimming. She also enjoyed gardening. She would plant vegetables and herbs whenever she had a patch of land or a pot and dirt to work with. Even when she lived in the city, she found a way to grow some of the herbs and peppers she liked to cook with. This brings us to her cooking. She was great at cooking and baking. It is true that most everyone loves their mom's cooking, but honestly, she made the best Vietnamese dishes ever! She was adept at sewing, knitting and crocheting. She would often make things for her family and friends. Whether it was food or crocheted slippers, if she knew you liked something she would make a ton of it. Some may recall the year that she knitted a set of hats and mittens for nearly every cousin in the family for Christmas. Be was a strong, independent, woman. She grew up in a war-torn country, escaped with two of her children, travelled to the other side of the globe, and lived in a foreign land with no other family but her children, where she barely spoke the language. She lived in various cities/villages in Kentucky, Virginia and New York. After the divorce, having to raise her children alone, she found ways to thrive; took adult English classes, worked two jobs, and still made time to take her children to visit family and friends, the zoo, museums, or any cultural events she could find and get to. When her children grew up and had their own families, she would go on vacations and adventures with her children and grandchildren. How she loved to travel and visit. Be spent much of her life raising children; whether it was her own children, grandchildren, or friends and neighbors' children. She loved babies and toddlers, and seemed to have an infinite amount of energy to devote to them. Throughout the years she would often babysit neighborhood children. She was sought after by many Vietnamese families in the United States to be a nanny for their young children. Not only because they trusted her but also because she would teach their children Vietnamese culture and was fluent in both English and Vietnamese languages. Be was a gifted conversationalist. She was often blunt when sharing her opinions. She enjoyed telling stories and she loved to give advice. She could sit for hours chit chatting with you on the phone or in person. Be is survived by her children: Teri (Gerald) Rego, Kim Oanh (Tam) Nguyen, Tina (Joseph) Harning, and Sameual Horner; her 11 grandchildren: Jennifer (Daniel) Dumas, Thul Nguyen, Jodi Brooks, Linh Nguyen, Eric (Kristina) Rego, Brooke (Joseph) Mancuso, Hieu Nguyen, Shawn Barndollar, Paige Horner, David Harning, and Jacob Harning; and her 8 great-grandchildren: Ethan Dumas, Alanna Dumas, Olivia Dumas, Peytinn Morter, Harper Mancuso, Zayne Rego, Sawyer Mancuso, and Zander Rego; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father Canh Dinh Vu, mother An Thi (Nguyen) Vu, and sister Cam Thi Vu. The immediate family had a small private home gathering and will be having a private memorial this summer with family and close friends with the date and location to be determined. The family would like to thank the Frary Funeral Home of Malone for taking care of the cremation and all necessary arrangements with such care and dignity.